Decent place, nothing to write home about. I was a bit upset, I made a reservation and yet I still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. If I had known that, I wouldn't have made a reservation at all. The food was okay, nothing great. Stay way from the shrimp salad, very bland. Our waitress wasn't very attentive. Rather bummed out about the whole experience.
(3)
Sophia L.
I had a lovely time at Captain James' this weekend. The restaurant is well decorated and the ambience is refreshing. There were plenty of natural light and gives off a feel of casual, yet special enough. The experience certainly made our annual trek to Baltimore area for crabbing worthwhile. Obviously, their steamed crabs is a must-get! It's about $57 for a dozen of medium-sized crabs. As a rule of thumb, it's generally enough for each person to get 3-4 crabs. I also highly recommend ordering a few other dishes. The seafood is well worth it at Captain James. I especially recommend getting Captain's Classic Crab Cake - it will not disappoint -- literally two largest lumps of crab cakes I've ever seen. Definitely worth the $25.99. My next option is to recommend getting the broiled sea scallops - especially if you are looking for a healthy seafood entree. They are very generous with their portion sizes here, so expect to get 8-10 scallops on your plate. I'm sure all the other seafood options on the menu is worth trying and if I were to go back again, I'd definitely try something new. Can't wait to uphold this tradition again in the next summer!
(5)
Karen X.
PROS: Seafood platter, crabcakes, fried calamari, prime rib -- delicious!!! The crabcakes were so big and tasty... not overly seasoned with old bay. Seafood platter was very fresh. Waitress & staff were very accommodating and helpful. When my daughter requested another plate of spaghetti and meatballs and our waitress was busy, another staff member quickly put the order in and we got rather quickly. CONS: Our crab soup, although good was lukewarm. Soup should be HOT. Our non-seafood eater said the cheesesteak sandwich wasn't very good. Place can get very noisy.
(4)
Vivian G.
I really enjoyed the food! Huge portions ! Super fresh crab and very reasonable prices. The staff was both knowledgable and accommodating. Will enjoy returning for another meal :) Recommend having the crab stuffed roasted chicken with roasted red skin potatoes and a vegetable medley The crab was so fresh I finished the meal three days later .....
(5)
Alyssa P.
Also check out crab house across the street. It was only OK, and I didn't really love the seafood which is what they are known for. The crabs were not great at all and not worth the effort of even cracking them. The waitstaff were quite friendly and nice. We also had the lobster pot which again was just ok, no one was that impressed. I also had a salad which was actually the best thing we got I believe. Even the sides weren't up to par. The crab shack across the street is a bit better with fun atmosphere on the water, but crabs are still mediocre.
(2)
Andrea K.
We had a late lunch today and Captain James Restaurant for the first time. We ordered the crab dip which came out hot and was very tasty. After we ordered our entrees, the wait for our food was a little longer than I expected for a slow afternoon. I also had to wait longer than I wanted for a refill on my tea but our waitress was very kind. The food was delicious and I would definitely come back again to try other things on their menu. I got the seafood ceviche salad, it was amazing and very filling. My aunt got the salmon pasta dish which also looked fantastic. Can't wait to come back!
(4)
Bernie C.
No. No no no. No. If you're going to base your restaurant off of seafood, decorate it like a boat, and sell yourself on your seafood, your seafood better freakin be fresh and cooked well. Nobody ever ever ever order the seafood nachos. Oh god it just came back up a little in my mouth. Oh it was so bad. So so so so bad. What is that sauce? The weird creamy thing that's definitely not typical and tastes stale and seems to not be made of neither cream or cheese but like... uncooked roux? And The scallops and the shrimp and crap in that sauce? Methinks not. A) definitely frozen, 100% they're frozen, and B) there is really no justification for charging 11$ for terrible seafood terrible sauce over stale chips in one huge gloopey mess. Oh god just don't. Just say no to the nachos. shudder. I had the seafood platter. The scallop, salmon, and shrimp were all overcooked. I mean come on, a seafood place has got to cook seafood properly. The clam casino was overcooked and weird and terrible and just oh so bad, like stuff piled on top of a clam with no rhyme or reason to it. The tiniest clam in the world by the way. The only redeeming quality was that the crab cakes were alright. ish. Also, the wait time was annoying. Oh god. So not a fan. Make it stop oh dear lord. *my friend enjoyed her one crab cake. But not its sides and not the service and she had three oysters that were not the best. Will update later if she ends up huddled over a toilet.
(1)
James U.
Visited this place for the first time 2 Weeks ago. Fun atmosphere! Well run bar! Now for the bad part. Your server will present you with a tray of crab shells showing everything from Godzilla crabs costing beaucoup dollars a dozen to the Lilliputian ones at $50 a dozen! If you go for the cheap midgets you loose!! Hardly any crab meat to be found on them! Wouldn't it be more honest to serve the medium to gianormous ones at a fixed exorbitant price? I think so!! Glad I ordered the steamed shrimp which were fat and delicious! Corn on the cob and Cole slaw were pretty good! Because the place was fun and dining on the water was so pleasant on that beautiful night, I will go back prepared to spend a fortune on the bigger crustaceans!
(2)
Nichole B.
The hostess and service doesn't represent the great food... I had at the spot. The hostess was cold Not accommodating. The waitress was not friendly and completely forgot my drink. The food was fabulous but the service was lacking probably because the gratuity is included.
(1)
Ma-e M.
I like their menu and the seafood. I was expecting that the food price is expensive but it is reasonably priced, because the food portion is proportioned to the price. I like the seafood stew in the lunch menu; it was delicious. I like the crab cake sandwich also in the lunch menu; the crabs were big and real. Since we arrived at 11 am, we also ordered from the breakfast menu. I like the crab hash; it was fantastic. Overall, the captain took charge of the ship's kitchen and landed with an excellent execution of food service.
(4)
Ebony H.
We went for a family dinner and because we had restaurant.com certificate. We got a ton of appetizers which is forgot to take pics of :-/ All of them were really good (wings, fries with crab, potato skins with crab, calamari, and garlic shrimp). We enjoyed and smashed all of the apps. I was seafood wait by the time for entrees so I ordered the ribs. I didn't eat the ribs until a day or two later and they were far from good. I wouldn't get them again but I so loved our appetizers hence the 4 stars. Shame on me for not getting a seafood dish. My dad ordered the prime rib special and it was really good. Should have followed his lead. Oh well, our server was great but I can't remember his name. We got dessert to share, Oreo cheesecake and some really good cinnamon dough and ice cream dessert. No complaints and we got a lot of food for the money even without the restaurant.com certificate.
(4)
Heather M.
Came for steamed crabs. Called ahead and they said they had jumbo. Went in and they showed us the medium, large, and extra large = puny, small, a teensy bit bigger than small. I asked about the jumbo and he said they don't have any but will check. Sure enough they had some but they were NOT jumbo sized IMO and were $99 a dozen. We were hoping for big crabs and it was cold sitting outside so we decided on just some appetizers and beer. Apps were not bad. Blue Moon was good haha. Service was just alright. You can tell he was annoyed we didn't order crab. The one thing good about this place though is its nice location and atmosphere. We sat on the water side where it's more seafood and the outdoor deck is nice to sit out on. Too bad it was cold that night! Probably touristy which is why crabs are smaller and more expensive. Good ambiance for a date on a summer night.
(3)
Jessica R.
My boyfriend and I came here this past weekend for brunch. Partially because there was a Groupon, but mostly for the fact that we saw a recent picture of Oprah eating here! If Oprah eats here, then it must be good, right?! There's no way you can miss this place. It looks like a giant ship just in the middle of Baltimore. They continue this theme on the inside as well. I can't really decide if I think it's tacky or cute. They have a free parking lot which was great! Nothing I hate more than fighting for parking in Baltimore. We were seated pretty quickly because we had a reservation. I recommend making reservations because the place is on the smaller side and it seemed like a popular choice for brunch. We started off with a dozen oysters. The oysters were just okay, not the best I've had. We then both ordered the Chesapeake Egg Benedict, which had crab meat on top of a traditional egg benedict. It came with 2 Benedict's, potatoes, and broccoli. Now this was great -- huge portion and the hollandaise sauce was perfect. The potatoes were really tasty as well. Our service was a bit slow. We had to wait a while before we received our check. Overall, we had a nice brunch and we'll probably be back.
(3)
Gus K.
The absolute BEST Crab Cake and Surf & Turf restaurant in Baltimore! If you haven't been here you must make it your next dining experience. The ambiance in this restaurant that looks like a ship from the exterior. Everything is awesome! I've been eating here since the 1970's and I'm impressed every time! The owner makes you feel like your in his home and does everything to make your dining experience first class. The Crab Crake is made with Jumbo Lump crab meat and it is flavored with no filler. The taste is amazing!
(5)
Rachel S.
Overview: Unfriendly, incompetent host. Solid crabs. Came and ate here this past weekend. Typically, we just dine out on the crab deck, but it doesn't open until the end of the month so we decided to board the boat. The interior is not nearly as tacky as the exterior, which was a pleasant surprise. Service: I called around noon to make reservations for 2 people at 5pm. The host said it was no problem. I called around 4:15 to see if we could push the reservation up to 4:30, since we underestimated our appetite. They said that the were unable to move it up, but confirmed us for 5pm. When we got there, the host insisted we had missed our reservation, which they had slated for 4pm. I was totally baffled. I explained what had happened, and the host responded quite rudely. She rolled her eyes, huffed several times and demanded to know who we spoke with. Pretty sure the point of making reservations is that THEY take down your name - NOT you take down theirs. Anyway, despite this whole unpleasant situation, she found a table for us and we were seated relatively quickly. Unfortunately, it also took the server a solid 15 minutes to come by and take our drink order and they weren't that busy. Several servers were more focused on busing tables then serving current customers. Appetizers: We ordered the sweet and sour grilled oysters. They were ok, but I probably wouldn't order them again. *Note - being from the Eastern Shore, my husband and I are crab snobs* Crabs: We split a dozen jumbo crabs, priced at $99. The crabs were fairly heavy and the meat was very flavorful, but I definitely would not call them jumbos given their smaller size. That being said, crabs are still out of season and some of the best crabs I've ever eaten came from Captain James Crab Deck. Bottom Line: Almost walked the plank before we were even seated. Will stick to the crab deck.
(3)
Gloria L.
This place was lovely, especially if you get the groupon when it's available! (Got $80 worth of food for $40 *wink wink) We went for date night, got half a dozen oysters on shell, crab stuffed potato skins (AH-mazing), Imperial stuffed chicken (lots of wonderful real crab meat in between two chicken breasts), and God bless those New Zealand Lamb Chops (perfectly cooked medium) these babes are heaven-sent from baby Jesus himself The place is nice and cozy and their check comes in a little lantern thing. So cuuute! Definately coming back, Tis now my favorite date spot and I will make this trip all the way from Jersey cause it's well worth it #Yummers
(5)
Khamari S.
CRAB CAKES A JUMBO ( ahh little filler ) but taste pretty Good all the same. They have a amazing deal on groupon for 40 bucks gets you 80 dollars worth of food. Beware of the 18 percent gratuity slap on however. I like to leave a good tip but only if service isnt a wreck as well. Service was postive last night but meal took 1 hour and some to arrive and 18 percent slap on grat was on check. To me this is a time the slap on is in question. With that being said this place is overall a positive experience that i wold return to for sure.
(4)
Virginia B.
Mediocre food, atmosphere, and service. Crab cakes were really mushy. Buns on the fish sandwich and kids burgers were stale. Not a great experience.
(3)
Michael Z.
Great portions. Appetizers were really tasty and crabcakes are generous and delicious!
(4)
Caroline N.
I came here with my family of 4 adults on a Thursday evening around 6:30pm. Overall, we had a good experience with the service and the atmosphere. The food was "okay" but nothing to get too excited about. If some of the dishes were tweaked a bit, it could get better reviews. One thing that was a bit agitating was the slowness of the food. There's "sorta taking long" and then we went past that gray area... and it went to "ok... food took forever.." Service was great; water was refilled a lot - and they were very good throughout the evening. The crab cakes + french fries were yummy! The salmon my mom got was so-so. Actually, she was pretty upset at the quality of the mixed vegetable side as well. It was mediocre and deserved to be a little better than home-cooked food. For the price we were paying, I think the food falls a little short. Overall - good location and good parking + atmosphere for families, for kids, and for bigger groups... but expect to wait on the food for awhile... I think we will come again sometime, but I would not go out of my way to come here again only due to the food. There are plenty of other seafood restaurants nearby.. BUT, I did like the free parking lot whereas in Fells Point, you have to pay metered parking. We didn't know there was a Groupon when we went... (darn, no wonder it was crowded) - could have saved $40. But yes, if you have a Groupon, come and try it out.
(4)
Anna S.
Great breakfast really low cost. I have been here many a time one time with a field trip of 24 kids and they were very helpful. The only issue I have is the service tends to be a little slow and it's up to the day if you get friendly staff. The atmosphere is payed back but nice.
(4)
Richard C.
We spent a lot on dinner (about $55 each on mostly seafood), and it was great! Here's why: - All the food was well-prepared. Nothing dried out or burned. - Service was very attentive. - We had both drink (some kind of mojito) and appetizer (seafood nachos) special before 7pm. About half price. - We had a group that had expired a couple of weeks ago, but we were given the full promotional value for it ($40 more off)! I recall being less than satisfied in past years, but it really was good. I had the broiled seafood platter. The crab cake dominated the platter and was very very tasty. It also came with skewered shrimp and sea scallops, fish, the crab cake, clam casino, stuffed oyster (more crab meat), a potato stuffed tomato, mixed sauteed vegetables. The best thing about it is that it is very unpretentious. For its location that's saying a lot, since so must of the rest of the area has become snobbified beyond endurance. They are still running the Groupon right now - try it!
(4)
Kevin C.
They messed up with our reservation and the receptionist didn't do anything to make it up. She asked if we could wait for about 10 minutes, we agreed. But instead, we had to wait for 31 minutes to be seated. During the 31 minutes, she just kept serving other customers who were already there waiting when we came in or other customers who came in later with reservations. The reasons to make a reservation is to not being needed to wait. If someone messed it up, the best the receptionist can do is to make it up. And, I don't think she did.
(1)
Larissa J.
What a surprise...this place is great! I have driven by this place countless times and thought it was kind of kitchy so I never thought to go in but then a friend had a Groupon for the place and I was utterly impressed. The food was delicious, the portions were hearty and the drinks were cold! They also have some fun items on the menu - I got the Seafood "ceviche" salad and had enough for lunch the next day! The fish was fresh, the scallops melted in your mouth and the mussels and clams were delectable. The interior is awesome because they take the theme of being in a ship and make it extremely classy - there were copper sinks in the bathroom! This was not a run of the mill pirate ship we were on it was the interior of a yacht and it was amazing. We had Paul as our server and he has worked there for a while and knows his menu! Not only that but he is a local so has fun stories about the neighborhood and what it was like growing up in Canton, ask him a few questions when you are there - you will not be bored!
(4)
Sarah G.
Came with 6 friends to get crabs in mid summer; sat outside at the crab house across the street on a Thursday evening. They had good happy hour deals going on and three of us got the $29 crab deal, which there is no way anyone could finish. We also got one of those giant blue fishbowl drinks ($25) and boiled shrimp, mussels, and chowder. We had a really good time here; the weather was good and we didn't have to wait for a table for more than 10 minutes and Natty Boh was $2 or $3. Parking is kind of a pain in the ass though, but that is Canton for you. Carpool if you can, or walk. Maybe I will take the #11 bus next time.
My roommate and I being former military like to meet our friends at BWI for their layover as they are coming home from deployment. Usually we stick to places around BWI airport but last time we decided to venture into Baltimore. We were headed to another place when the ship shaped restaurant caught the eye of our recently deployed friend so we stopped. I must say I am glad we did! First off the cute girl working at the hostess station was very sweet and welcoming. She even let us look inside and kind of choose where we wanted to sit and genuinely laughed when my friends said they wanted a "hot male server." Then our server Greg showed up and he was hilarious the first thing he said to us was "So you guys wanted a hot male server, well I'm it but only because I'm the only guy working tonight." Service was excellent. He took the time to really make my friends feel special and had us all cracking up half the night. Also the drinks he made were amazing! Itsa (probably spelling his name wrong) was very friendly and accommodating as well. I saw him making his rounds talking to other tables before coming over to us. Drink wise we had the Mediterranean, the Guava Mojito and the Hispaniola. The Mediterranean is the perfect take on a dirty martini without being too dirty. The Guava Mojito was the perfect mix of sweet and savory made with basil instead mint. And the Hispaniola was like drinking an alcoholic candy bar. (Although I do believe Greg told us he substituted the Ouzo with something because it tastes better) The food was perfect, I would order everything again. Crab stuffed mushrooms, The steam pot (which are 9.95 on Thursdays), Spanakopita (this was our least favorite but only because its a huge version of it and we all love the crispy filo dough and the ratio was off) and the greek salad (I happen to love cappers so the amount they put on it was delicious). The table bread is yummy and warm too, I think my friends went through a basket each. The desserts were AMAZING. Greg told us which to have and we listened, so rice pudding, oreo cheesecake, Xango, and Baklava it was. The rice pudding was good traditional rice pudding with just a hint of lemon after taste. The Oreo cheesecake was a little slice of decadent heaven, completely chocked full of oreos. The Xango which we didn't even know what it was turned out to be similar to a panna cotta wrapped in filo dough and fried then served with good quality vanilla bean ice cream. And lastly the Baklava was perfectly sticky but could have used some more nuts in my opinion. All in all not only was the food great but the staff treated us so warmly I think this might have to be our regular spot when friends have their layovers from deployments from now on!
(5)
Matthew D.
Great find ! Was in Baltimore for the holiday and came across this gem . Really cool looking place inside and has free parking . The food is not " cheap" meaning 15-28 for an entree but that's normal for decent seafood around here . There are burgers and sandwiches for less $ but I got the crab cakes and it was awesome . Beers are cheap and service is great .
Having driven by several times, the bf and I have been intrigued by Captain James and so we came here last Friday with a Groupon. Given that the building is shaped like a boat, the inside decor is similarly boat-themed and a bit cliched (although I think in a cute way!) They seemed quite busy, but service was quick! We ordered: 1. A dozen oysters (3 stars out of 5): came with lemon, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. The oysters were good, although a bit warm, and the best with the lemon. 2. Cream of crab soup (4 stars out of 5): sooo thick, creamy, and delicious! I didn't taste too much of the crab, but the bf loved it and downed the whole bowl! 3. Seafood stew (5 out of 5): this was my favorite! Huge chunks of fish, scallops, and shrimp in a deliciously flavorful and savory tomato broth. It was a tad on the saltier side, but I still drank the whole thing and I'm not even a big soup person! 4. Seafood platter with a lobster tail (1 star out of 5): what a disappointment. Although there was a lot of different elements, perhaps that is the problem as most of the platter was not very good. The absolute worst part was the lobster tail which had been so overcooked and ridiculously chewy. Definitely not worth the extra $10 for the lobster tail. The scallops were small, the shrimp was shrimp. The clams casino was dry and a bit burnt? The fresh fish was also dry. The best part was the crab cake with huge chunks of crab. We also ordered the escargot, but luckily (since we were stuffed!), it didn't come out! From this experience, I think Captain James is good at doing simple seafood, but anything fancier (like the seafood platter) may be a hit or miss.
(3)
Joe Z.
Folks, This place has the best crab cakes in town, PERIOD! Very clean place, cool environment, fair prices, and great food. I have been eating at the Crab House across the street for over 15 years and now I frequent the restaurant too. I have never had a bad meal. I took a friend here on New Years and he said it was one of the best meals he has had in a long time (from Philly) I took my life long friend here a few weeks ago and he said (many time during the week) that it was easily the best crab cakes he has ever eaten. Service is great, staff is friendly, and ownership is down to earth. Check out their weekly specials! Awesome place! - Joe Z
(5)
MiMi F.
It was okay. We visited on a Sunday night. Our waiter was great and attentive. The food...meh. I ordered the stuffed shrimp which was decent but needed more seasoning, the shrimp and vegetables. Someone in my party ordered the fried seafood sampler which was heavily battered. Another ordered the broiled sampler and she stated that it could use more seasoning also. She did mention that the oysters were good. Our party consisted of four people (three adults and one child) and 18% gratuity was already added to our check. I thought that was unusual. Overall, an okay experience but I don't think we will return.
(3)
Robert F.
Disappointing. Took almost exactly an hour to get our entrees from the time we sat down and wasn't crowded. Food was ok but certainly not a standout. I actually found the seafood selection somewhat limited. Overall, sluggish and underwhelming.
(2)
KG V.
Went there with fam after church for brunch coz I had Groupon discount. Place is cozy, prices very reasonable, servings generous. In short, we will def be back for more! Maybe try their dinner menu next time.
(4)
C R.
Food is decent, but we've been there 3 times (twice at the dockside location and once at the one across the street) with disgraceful service from 3 different servers. One of them added 18% gratuity to our check. The manager at the dockside location ignores you and the hostess hopes you will go away when they get busy. They are obviously understaffed and the front of the house staff, including the manager, has little if any experience. The location and cooks have got to be the only things keeping this place afloat. Overall, easily the worst service in Baltimore.
(1)
Susan M.
Cane here for the first time today. Service was good and food was outstanding. We had the crab Mac and cheese which was short on the crab but was a good size and tasty. I had the shrimp scampi flatbread and my hubby had the crab cakes. Enough god for 5 people easy with those three dishes. We have enough left for dinner and lunch tomorrow. Yes the prices seem high but when the food comes and you see the quality and the serving sizes it is well worth it. Best seafood around.
(5)
Chad E.
Great seafood spot. Cream of crab soup with tons of lump crab, shrimp salad with huge shrimp. Snow crab legs were sweet and luscious. A great friendly atmosphere
(4)
Jeff C.
Great Maryland blue crabs! They roll out the paper and place the mallets and tin bucket for the shells after ordering. A little confusing as it wasn't on the menu, we had to ask if they were available. Service was okay. I know we were there late and the waitress looked tired, but you don't want to be served by someone who can't give you a pleasant experience. It wasn't unpleasant but it could certainly have been more fun. And they add the 18% gratuity just for 3 people as if they knew their service wasn't excellent.
(4)
Natty H.
The good, the bad, and the ugly...The good = food was delicious. The bad = SERVICE, absolutely horrible. The ugly = the 18% auto gratuity that our waitress/bartender/wrong food order recorder received for a job NOT well done. Beware!
(3)
Leah Y.
It amazes me how the portions increase and the prices decrease an hour outside of DC. Lo and behold I got to experience some amazing lump crab cakes at Captain James Landing Restaurant. It was nearly entirely crab meat and very delicious. I would say the two crab cakes were a combined 15 ounces or more of pure lump goodness for $26. I got to substitute the rice and veggies for grits and red skin potatoes for no upcharge and cocktails were only $7. WOW.... Only the day before I went to restaurant week in DC, paid $65 and didn't have half as much food. The Good: The portions were great and the food was flavorful. I didn't like the grits. Grits should never be able to be scooped and placed on your plate like mashed potatoes. They weren't polenta grit cakes either. The shining star was the crab cakes. We also had the Crab Mac and Cheese and the Crab Dip Fries. Both were chock full of crab and were tasty. The fries were a bit salty but I could be sensitive to it since I have cut down my sodium intake. The Bad: The waitress wasn't great and she added in her 18% gratuity for our part of four. I normally give 20% or more but hey... she wasn't very attentive so she got what she deserved. We luckily made reservations at the recommendation of a tour guide and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a nice getaway from DC foodie world. :o)
(4)
Keith W.
This wasn't my first or probably last time to Captain James. While I have never eaten in the mail restaurant I have gotten crabs here on several occasions. They usually have all-you-can-eat crabs on Thursdays but this year the crabs aren't very plentiful yet and they run out. The larges were pretty small and there was not much "meat". I don't blame the restaurant because they are beholden to the season. I will say that the service was excellent but their pricing was a little too high for the value.
(3)
Connie J.
Went down to Baltimore for Valentine's Day & visited the National Aquarium. Had resevations made at Captain James for dinner. But with a change of plans I needed my reservation to be bumped up and basically available to me the moment my plans changed. I called in and I was able to go in early! The food is amazing! The cream of crab, oh my goodness.. DELICIOUS! Given that I was in Maryland I HAD to try the crab cakes! Well, that did not disappoint either! Overall the food was so good I had a list of food items made to-go. Oh did I mention I was heading back to Philadelphia with the food?! It was still good after the road trip back!!! The decor was perfect. This restaurant is perfect! I am in the process of planning another trip to Baltimore! Yes, just to go to Captain James Landing!!
(5)
Supriya M.
There is no better way to describe Captain James Landing than by using the cliched, overly used phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". We honestly would have never gone here if we didn't have a fantastic groupon deal. This boat-looking restaurant looks so touristy from the outside but inside, it is actually quite nice. It's no Charleston but it's definitely a very nice ambiance. We made a reservation and were seated promptly as we arrived. The food was most definitely better than expected albeit quite pricey. But I would highly highly recommend getting their $30 seafood platter which included a huge, huge and excellent jumbo lump crab cake, scallops, shrimp, oysters, flounder and some other unidentifiable yet good seafood. The platter also came with a side of rice and vegetables. For $30, this is a steal! I got the scallops which were good but after looking at the platter, seemed under-whelming. Service was quick and good and they were very accommodating with our 1 year old bringing his vegetables to the table fast. We were pleasantly surprised by Captain James Landing and would recommend this for seafood to anyone - especially if there's a groupon available!
(4)
George I.
Good food, fair price, free parking, clean. We are from Philadelphia and drive down just to get the crabs in the restaurant and at their crab house across the street. Worth the trip.
(5)
Brenton W.
My good friend from college lives in Baltimore and I in Silver Spring. Once a month we meet up at Captain James for breakfast and every time I volunteer to make the 1/2 hour trip his way so we can eat here. Granted, I've only had breakfast here so I can't vouch for their seafood or any other meals. Fairly priced -- I'd be even willing to say surprisingly cheap for the quality of food that is brought out. Some of the best scrapple I've ever tasted (burnt around the edges and perfectly thick). After you've been here a few times, the waitresses know you by name.
(5)
Maggie S.
I ordered flounder filet. It is not good. Too wet and the too creamy. The fish is embedded with water
(1)
Ashlee J.
Went here on a Groupon whim and was pleasantly surprised. The Gummy Bear Martini tasted like an alcoholic cream soda but did have Gummy Bears in it. The asian chili chicken wings were the best (and they fried them hard as requested). Not kidding, I may go back just for chicken wings. The crab dip stuffed potato skins were good. The server, Greg, was awesome. Was very quick to fix a dish my boyfriend didn't care for. Overall everything was good. I'll be back.
(4)
Samuel G.
If you plan a visit to Baltimore, you look for somewhere that's serving tasty crabs. As we decided upon a winter trip to Baltimore; we weren't greeted with mountains of Maryland Blue Crab as you may during the summer. However, we couldn't leave without trying the staple food item that Baltimore is known for. Captain James Landing did not disappoint. This was by far our tastiest meal of the weekend. The waffle fries with crab meat; crab cake and sides (Rice Pilaf, Cauliflower Mash) were all delicious. We look forward to returning during warmer months in order to take in the full effect of Captain James Landing.
(4)
Debra W.
First time here. Came for breakfast. Daughter got the breakfast tacos. Huge!! 3 pancakes filled with scramble eggs and sausage. I got the French toast with the eggs and sides again this was a big portion. The price was great for the amount of food we got. The waitress was friendly and attentive. Great food and service. Will be back again.
(5)
Tony M.
And in conclusion..... After years of people telling me this place sucked, I bought a Groupon to check it out. I can't believe I left other people's opinions keep me from coming here. The service was great, the food was great, and their recent renovation of about a year ago looks great. Also, unlike a lot of places that use Groupon, the normal prices are good for the quality of the food. I should note that when I say "great" I mean for the price. Obviously with a ~$23 average entree, this is not the best restaurant in Baltimore. Seafood Nachos were stellar. Village salad reminded me of lunch in Ankara Turkey as unlike most restaurants they actually used nice capers and olives with pits. Crab cakes were HUGE, had some big chunks of crab, and had enough crab in them. Not the most crab I've seen in a crab cake, but they were good so I'm happy One thing I loved was that none of the food had too much salt in it. I'm getting really tired of feeling like my mouth is burning from salt every time I eat out. There is sea salt on the table for the people who need to consume 10x what they should.
(5)
Moon C.
I'm comparing this vs LP steamers which I had crabs from last time I was in Baltimore. I felt like the crabs at LP steamers were better. The calamari was pretty good and so was the sweet potato fries, but I wasn't too impressed with the shrimp. Everything felt like more expensive, but maybe that's just because I ordered larger crabs this time. When we ordering drinks, they were out of pretty much everything. Not sure if that's normal.
(3)
Alexis L.
Though we have lived close to this restaurant for about three years, my fiance and I just recently visited for dinner for the first time. Knowing it is a 24 hour joint and not knowing of any friends who have dined here, I kinda dismissed it as a restaurant to visit. Shame on me! My fiance had a living social (or was it groupon?) deal and we decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and feel of the restaurant. It has a nautical theme and, I believe, is newly renovated. While Captain James specializes in seafood, my fiance ordered steak and I ordered Chicken Marsala. My fiance really enjoyed his steak. My Chicken Marsala was good. Not the best but the not worst. We look forward to returning to enjoy crabs or other seafood options.
(3)
Patti N.
Wow! Found this with groupon. Always thought those who offer groupons are in need of customers. Not so here. They were full at 11 am last Sunday morning, and food was so excellent they should not need anything but word of mouth. My husband had the Chesapeake Benedict and I the Chesapeake hash. Both were so full of delectable lump crab meat it was a dominant flavor. Both dishes had perfectly poached eggs and a great hollandaise. Mine was so much I took half home for dinner. Definitely will be going back ASAP.
(5)
Matt J.
My wife and I came here due to a Groupon we had. Being a lifetime resident of Baltimore, I was surprised that I had never eaten here. First of all having a private lot in the Canton area is a huge plus, as on a Saturday night parking is at a premium. I would rate our experience as good but not great for the price of the food. Our table was ready at about 8 for a 7:45 reservation which is not the end of the world considering they had a large party that refused to get up even though they had paid about 20 minutes ago. Our waiter was good and attentive although he did vanish a few times and was really hard to hear. But he took good care of our table. For food, we started with Escargot which was simply delicious. For soups I had the Cream of Crab which was bland yet had a lot of lump crab meat in it. My wife had French Onion soup that was great, I wish I had gotten that. For dinner I had the Brazilian Lobster tails stuffed with Crab Imperial. I'm just gonna say that it was fantastic. My wife ended up with a seafood platter that looked and she said tasted really good but was too much for her to eat. So Yay lunch the next day. On a whole it was a good experience, I think the prices are a little high for what you get. I also am not a fan of the automatic 18% tip on meals over $75.00
(3)
Rita F.
My husband and I went to Captain James for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. We went for brunch and were not dissappointed....WOW! Awesome! We each ordered a "Benedict" - I had the traditional and my husband had the steak Benedict w sauteed mushrooms. Lets just say we can't wait to go back...Great service, great food, great ambience. Also want to try the Captain James Crab Shack...right on the Bay...
(4)
Justin P.
My go to place for crabs on the water! Love coming here and the crabs/seafood are great!
(4)
Axl R.
FOOD: Do not try to special order anything, because they are going to get it wrong. I asked for no Parmesan cream, I got Parmesan cream. I asked for egg whites, but I got full eggs. We asked for milk not cream, we got cream. We did not get toast, even though it came with my meal. There was a lot of confusion associated with ordering. Aside from that though, the food was GREAT. However, it's certainly easier to make food good when it is full fat and butter. Honestly, even with all the errors and not actually getting what I wanted at all, we were both satisfied. The seafood frittatta had lots of good seafood. The burrito was quite tasty. The homefries were neither too oily or salty, nor too dry. I would say the pancakes were better than average. SERVICE: Um, just be prepared to order everything like three times. The servers were all super sweet though and were genuinely interested in serving us. AMBIENCE: Brunch ambiance was perfect. We went early Sunday morning, so there were not that many people. The restaurant was nice and cool inside when it was sweltering outside. There were not many people and there were typical, Baltimore, nice people inside, (not a fancy/swanky crowd) which we liked. Would I go back?? WELL, honestly no. The food was good, but we didn't get what we wanted. I think if you like full fat food and have no expectation for exactness of service, then you'll like this place.
(4)
Amy V.
We came here for breakfast yesterday, and I had the crab hash. It was "OK." Lots of crab chunks. I think this place has great decor (the restaurant is shaped like a ship), and the windows are big oceanview windows. Me saying the hash was just "OK" does not reflect on the restaurant at all. I'm just not a hash kind of girl, but I'd definitely come back to try something else on the menu. Reasonably priced even without the Groupon available, this place is a winner!
(4)
Elise B.
Let's just say... Captain AWESOME!! They have the best crabs that I've ever had; wonderfully seasoned. I went to both the Crab Shack and the actual restaurant. Both were different but great experiences. Oh and the crabcakes were absolutely delicious-...Yummm. They were large with no filling at all. They were great. Even the bread was delicious. I would most definitely recommend this place. Oh and free parking!! It was so worth the 3 hour drive to celebrate my birthday.
(4)
Dana J.
I lived right around the corner from here for 10 years and would only go if a friend invited me. Well that changed over the weekend. I was in town for a rollerblading event and all the others in the event were from other states, for lunch everyone wanted to go to "the ship"...as we had skated by it earlier Saturday. We were seated promptly. The waitress was very nice. I ordered a crab cake sandwich less the bread. I am usually not one to order a crab cake because generally they are not to terrific no matter where ya get them. But after having a "crab cake" in FL that put most crappy crab cakes to shame I decided that I would try out Captain James crab cake. I ordered it broiled(cause really...that is the ONLY way) and it was AMAZING!!!!! I would definitely recommend them to anyone from out of town who wants a great crab cake done right!!!!!!! The remodel also makes the place look great, and it's about time!!!! Also a skater friend got the ceviche and said it was phenomenal!!!!
(5)
Angela B.
My boyfriend and I had dinner here for restaurant week and we are definitely giving 5 stars for this place. The service was fantastic, as soon as a completed plate was pushed to the edge of the table it was immediately picked up. Our water glasses were always filled and our server was very pleasant and checked on us, but wasn't overbearing. The restaurant and bathrooms were very clean. The food was great. We both got the three course restaurant week dinner. We got the Seafood Nachos, the Crab Fries (better than nachos), Grilled Mahi-Mahi, the Seafood Platter, Baklava Sunday and the Bananas Foster Xango (shouldn't be legal, it was so good). Definitely a place to check out.....
(5)
Larry C.
Contrary to some of the reviews here, I loved it. The crab cakes were out of this world and the service was very, very good. The waiter mentioned that it had been recently renovated and changed concept a bit so perhaps that's the reason for the better experience I had than most.
(5)
Megan H.
Great food especially the seafood alfredo. I actually purchased a Groupon and haven't been in many years. I was thoroughly impressed with my recent visit. The only thing I didn't like was the busboy. He was somewhat rude when my husband asked how much longer before the dinner rolls arrive. I felt my husband was pleasant when he asked considering we were waiting for nearly 20 minutes after being seated. Other than the bus boy, I enjoyed the visit and look forward to returning.
(4)
C R.
The seafood pasta is wonderful. It comes with shrimp, scallops and lobster. I don't eat scallops so they let me substitute crab meat for no extra charge. That was good since it was already $24. My husband ordered the prime rib. Both of our meals were great. The Chicken Parmesan was not very good but who orders chicken parm at a seafood place anyway? My 7 year old lol The rolls were great and our server was very welcoming. We found a groupon so that made our meal much more affordable. Great choice.
(4)
Victoria L.
Touristy? Um, it's a boat-shaped restaurant. Yes, it's touristy. However, the food is surprisingly good! We went here with some out-of-town family because hey, it's a boat! (or at least looks like one). Most of the people got crabcakes (shocker), and no one was disappointed. I got kebabs (what, I can't eat seafood) and they were actually pretty tasty! It is really meant for tourists so the ambiance reflects that. However, it means that you can walk in wearing flip-flops and a Transformers t-shirt and no one will bat an eyelash. The place really was more than meets the eye.
(4)
Cary B.
This is an older restaurant located in the midst of a trendy Canton neighborhood. It's kind of a dowdy, dated place but nonetheless clean, with a decent "down home" family atmosphere. The menu is sizable and kind of traditional. The crabs cakes were huge and meaty at a relatively low price (2 for $23 including two sides). The scallops were also good, but could have used a tad more seasoning. Service was prompt and attentive, and the complementary self-park lot was a great convenience. With the restaurant.com coupon we enjoyed a hearty meal at minimum cost. Would definitely pay Captain James a return visit.
(4)
Marc B.
Party of four, Saturday, January 17, 2015. We have been Maryland residents our entire life, and have visited Baltimore hundreds of times and eaten at many of Baltimore's best Restaurants. We called to make a reservation prior to going. We talked to the manager and requested a reservation for 4:30 PM, and we were told that the entire Restaurant was booked. The manager said that the only possible time was at 4:00 PM or after 9:00 PM. We accepted and secured the 4:00 PM time arriving a little after 4:00 PM, and stayed until about 5:30 PM. We had a very good view of the entire Restaurant during our visit, and most tables remained empty during our entire visit. What happened to the crowd of diners that had booked the entire Restaurant we were told about? We ordered a variety of food, including seafood and traditional fare. The food was good, and our server was polite and courteous. We found the prices to be very expensive compared to other Restaurants of this type. One example a two soft shell crab platter was $40 !!! We buy fresh seafood all the time and can get easily get the same for entree for ~$20 elsewhere. There is a very limited choice of fish, which we thought strange for a seafood Restaurant in Maryland. The high prices for seafood entrees were pretty much across the board. However, many of the prices for traditional food and sandwich's were within an acceptable range, but still on the high side. The Restaurant does have weekday specials that were advertised, but these too were expensive. Surprisingly there is a reasonable kids menu. Expect to pay around $50 per person for dinner on the weekend. This Restaurant automatically tacks on a 18% gratuity to your bill. The service we received was worthy of this gratuity, but we would have liked to be able to make that determination ourselves. How does this Restaurant keep track of exceptional, and or poor service? The Restaurant has a very large bar, but did not offer draft beer, only bottles which we thought was ridiculous for a Baltimore Restaurant. Even though the Restaurant touts steamed crabs everyday, they had no steamed crabs on our visit. They stated that the truck did not arrive? I suggest that you inquire prior to your visit if steamed crabs is what you want, and what the price is. The main restaurant is not on the Baltimore harbor as pictures would have you assume. The main Restaurant actually has a unremarkable street view. However there is a separate building across the street and parking lot which is on the harbor, but was closed during our visit. The overall interior of the Restaurant has a very simple appearance almost fast food like. The Restaurant was cold and we had to keep our jackets on for our entire visit, but were still not comfortable.
(2)
Tracy M.
Excellent grilled shrimp and crab cakes.
(4)
Matt S.
Captain James has 2 locations, there's the main restaurant that looks like a ship, then another more casual spot right across the street with outdoor seating. We went to the outdor seating location and it was pretty good. You order crab by the 1/2 dozen along with clams, mussels, shrimp, etc. Everything arrives family style where they pour it onto the table and everyone digs in, throwing your shells into large red buckets. Add a few pitchers of beer and you're set. They real go heavy on the seasoning for the crab, and it's a little pricey. But our server was great. She was attentive and friendly, which goes a long way.
(3)
David I.
I had two out of town visitors who had a craving for seafood. We were downtown for an O's game and decided to go somewhere not so touristy. This place fit the bill perfectly. Pros: 1. Good selection 2. Casual 3. Great tasting food 4. Not crowded, calm atmosphere Cons: 1. Slow kitchen 2. Good distance away from inner harbor (although there is a water taxi stop right outside). More Info: We made the mistake of walking here from the inner harbor. About 40+ minutes each way through some not so great neighborhoods. As we walked up, 3 police cars pulled up and the officers ran inside the restaurant. We almost turned around and looked for somewhere else, but decided to risk it. We were seated and our drinks came out fast. We looked over the menu, which was more extensive than the offerings on the inner harbor. And much cheaper!! I ordered the imperial, someone else went with the sampler, and the last person ordered a crab cake sandwich. It took roughly an hour between the time we ordered and when we were served our food. Everything was absolutely amazing and fresh. In fact, the person who ordered the crab cake was impressed at how little filler there was in it. This is a place I would definitely come to again if I had time to kill. If they could speed things up a bit in the kitchen, it would be much, much better!
(4)
Stev F.
Stuffed myself with Crabs and Crab Dip. Excellent!!!!!!!!
(4)
Ed W.
So went here for breakfast last Saturday. I had never been here before but my friends' indicated that it was completely remodeled on the first floor and the menu was also new. We had a great breakfast. I had the eggs benedict with Steak for $9! The coffee was standard but you never had to ask for a refill. I'll definitely be back. We even briefly spoke to the owner on the way out complimenting him on the place and he was very gracious. The Sip n Bite across the street doesn't compare.
Always an amazing late night spot to eat some greasy but filling food! If you are leaving a lounge, club, bar, or you're just hungry, they are the place to be! The service is fast no matter how busy it is and you get your money's worth.
(5)
Julie R.
We have been to Captain James before they renovated. While we loved the food--always fresh nicely and traditionally prepared seafood--we didn't love the old school atmosphere. We learned that the owner's son took over and redid the place so we went in mid-May. It looks great! Super-cute nautical theme and we thought some menu updates as well. The food is still wonderful and served in those traditional crocks we love. We've had the crabcakes, scallops, crab imperial-stuffed shrimp (no breading, yay!), and flounder. All were traditionally prepared, moist, fresh, and flavorful. The food is traditional, if you don't feel like a new take on fish with dollops of foam or silly sauces on the place, hit up Captain James because you won't be disappointed. Service was great. Loved it!
(3)
Heb Y.
The customer service here was great. The food was delicious, came during restaurant week and got these great portions and amazing quality food for a great price. The food is quite rich, so I advise going in hungry. I would recommend the creamed crab soup, the lobster roll, and the mahi mahi.
(4)
Dan P.
I've been twice. First time the food was great and the service was excellent. The second time the food was good but the service was slow. Our waiter was a nice guy, but he was just overwhelmed with larger tables. Drinks were empty most of the night and at one point I called for him and he told me "one minute" but he didn't come back for 10 minutes.
(3)
Mike T.
The outside of this restaurant is pretty neat, the shape of a ship. And then you walk in the restaurant entrance where there are a few real casual tables with what seemed to be the owner and a friend watching TV. He pointed us to the main dining room...very strange. Anyhow, the maine dining room is dated to be sure, the interior likely has not been changed much in 25-30 years. Waitstaff was helpful from the start. However, their beer list was not good, at all. Their were something like 8 choices in total, most of them were also 30+years old, i.e. Budweiser, Coors, Miller and 1 bottle of Sam Adams, really ??? The food was pretty good, albeit a bit pricy. Deserts were average, expected more from the Baklava from a place that seemed to be owned by Greeks, and regardless of their origin, made a point of telling us that it was made in house. So, the meal was filling and certainly not bad. But, if they modernized decor, music, beer list and tinkered with their dessert menu, they would get another 1-2 stars.
(2)
Zhicao F.
Excellent crab market, very good steamed crab (though it would be better if they put less pepper and salt on the crab), but other stuff in the crab market is a bit pricy.
(4)
John H.
Our party of 4 came here last night in because one of our friends had never had crabs and we had a Groupon. The restaurant is in the shape of a ship so that was tacky but there was a free private parking lot across the street which made up for the fact that we were walking into a tourist trap. I know it's the off season for crabs but for $65 a dozen large, these were the worst crabs I have ever had. They were not fresh and dead prior to cooking. This is a fact because the meat was mushy and not firm. At all. I should of said something to the manager but we were too exhausted to complain. That aside, the service was great. Our waitress was a nice lady who explained everything and helped us with the menu. My soft shell crab sandwhich was huge and very very good. The crab cake sandwich was full of lump and also extremely delish however they were a bit chintzy on the side of french fries. OVerall a good experience at this restaurant but I would NOT come here for steamed crabs. There are far better options such as Canton Dockside and even Bo-ring Brooks, both within 1 mile of Captain James.
(3)
Joyce R.
My review is for the CRABS! I was there last summer for my birthday and had the best crabs EVER! I'm taking two friends to Baltimore in two weeks, just for these CRABS! I can't wait! I do have to say, my BF didn't like his food, he doesn't eat crabs. It was expensive and just 'eh. Service was not up to my par, either. I hope they wow me in a couple of weeks!
(4)
Margie F.
We were seated by hostess who then proceeded to warn us that service may be very slow. No better explanation. The place was not all that busy. Bad vibe for a place we had not visited before. No encouragement to stick around so we left. Waste of a groupon. Big disappointment. Probably will not try again.
(1)
Caleb F.
We came here for the All You Can Eat crabs... Seeing the unique building architecture of a naval ship as the restaurant only to find out that was the wrong establishment. The all you can eat comes with smallest sized crabs, one cup of Tomato Crab Soup and an ear of corn. GOOD: A nice view of the harbor. The crab was fresh. Easy to open. BAD: For $30/person, you have to eat 10 crabs to break even with ala carte. They also give you the smallest size crabs and limit you to 2 hrs eating time. The seasoning was overdone making the crab extremely salty. Which forced you to buy a soda or water which they sold by the can/bottle. And for a party of 5, they charged an automatic 15% gratuity. FAV: The corn was really good. I would say the crab if they minus the seasoning.
(2)
Valerio M.
Very cheap and good food, but a 6/10 overall. Food was good, service was fair, ambiance was bad. I had 3 soft shell crabs for just $16. Portions are very reasonable. Awful selection of wines.
(3)
Chris K.
The Good: - Dirt cheap breakfast and a lot of it - $9.99 all-you-can-eat breafast before 10AM - You get to eat inside of a "boat" The Bad: - All-you-can-eat breakfast has a time limit of 1 hour - Double shooting outside in Sept. '08 Is this place for you? I don't think there is a better breakfast deal in all of Baltimore and you can't beat the decor of this restaurant.
(3)
Andrew M.
Drunkards off the port bow! Drunkards off the port bow! Presiding over the corner of Boston and Aliceanna is a restaurant disguised as a hulking front quarter of a freighter ship. Captain James' grub will get you in ship shape for an evening of boozing down the neighboring Boston Street bar corridor. Scurvy dogs eat at the strange uninviting small mess hall section off of the Aliceanna entrance. Be brave, and seek higher ground past the flourescent lit wierdness and cathode tube TV blaring ambiance for the formal dining area. Female servers in Love Boat themed purser's outfits welcome you aboard into a candle lit nautical dining room. Expensive kebabs, crab cakes, and spanikopita are not a nod to Greek shipping magnates. Greektown mafioso ownership is floating more than a few drachmas through the Captain. How do you think Captain James persuaded the water taxi to stop at their waterfront crab deck goldmine? Pass on dinner, and set sail to "The Ship" for one of the best breakfasts downtown. Eastside churchgoers in all shapes in all shapes, sizes, and colors roll into the ship in their Sunday best. Hungover Cantonites who can't get into the Sip & Bite across the street may be fortunate enough to stagger into the ship for some scrapple and eggs. Highlandtown hons wolf waffles to fuel a work week on the docks. Kids ask to go to "the ship". They love the collosal stuffed rockfish on the wall, friendly waitress, crayons on the paper covered tables, and feeding leftover toast to the ducks across the street. Lookouts spy huge freighters unloading sugar across the harbor at Domino's sugar through porthole shaped windows. Aye aye Captain!
(4)
Rose S.
Brown paper as the tablecloth, biting flies, buckets of beverages, crabs smothered in Old Bay, sitting on the Harbor, check! If you enjoy working for your food, Capt James is the place to go - all you can eat medium & extra large crabs in 2 hrs. Beverages are by the can. The Old Bay smothered across your arms & all over your face are the expression of having successfully tackled the crabs dumped from cookie sheet to grocery bag tablecloth.
(3)
Melissa W.
Had steamed crabs here on Friday night. Was home from a recent move down south. I couldn't wait to get some hard blue crabs! They sucked! They line the crabs up according to size on a paper plate type thing and bring them around to your table. They all looked like the same size to us so we chose something middle of the road pricewise. Most of the crabs we ate didn't seem like they had been cooked enough. My husband, a hearty crab eater, ate three crabs as opposed to his usual 6-7 so as not to offend our host. Soup was terrible. French fries were OK. Never offered pitchers of any type drink, instead, our iced tea was of the canned variety. Our waiter was rude and abrupt even to an elderly woman eating with us. He blew by the table periodically to ask how we were doing as if he cared. We really were an afterthought. There were no managers that we could see, perhaps, that's why the service was lacking. I wouldn't go back here even if someone else was treating. I give Captain James one star for the view of the water which was nice, although the flies were nasty and we had to cover everything in sight to keep them off the crabs we hadn't eaten yet. I felt bad for our host who wound up taking lots of crabs home with her. Bottom Line: If you want consistently good crabs, trek out to the Ship's Cafe in Catonsville. Had them on Sunday and they were awesome! They have never disappointed us when it comes to crabs. Well worth the price. Get what you pay for...great service and great crabs!
(1)
Kerry S.
We went to the restaurant side and not the crab house across the street. My boyfriend was wearing a tank top so we could not sit in the main dining room. It shocked us that they were that strict on men's clothing! They stuck us in the "diner" room which was very small. It was just us and the owner & his buddy in there watching tv. The owner had cranked the tv up super loud so he could hear it. That was a bit annoying. He constantly flipped through the channels and talked loudly on his cell phone. But we were starving so we decided to stick it out. I had ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce. The sauce had a hint of cinnamon in it, so that was a little different. Overall, the spaghetti was decent. My partner ordered a prime rib with mashed potatoes. He said that his dinner was outstanding. They cooked the rib to perfection. The waiter was very attentive and polite. He made sure to refill our drinks before they were even half way empty. The decor is a little gloomy and needs an update. The dress code still throws me off. There were women in the dining room in plain tank tops. So, I dont know why a man cant wear a tank top? I am happy that we stopped here. The food was worth it despite the loud owner and poor decor. They do have an ATM in the "Diners" room. We had seen a handful of tourists stop in just to grab some money from the ATM and leave. The owner didnt seem to care.
(3)
Jon K.
3.5 stars...... This place was pretty good, not great but pretty good. The atmosphere was kind of old fashioned to tell you the truth. I don't know why people think this place is touristy, I felt like I was surrounded by old people in this restaurant as many of the people were much older than me including the staff. The service was good, not great as I had to get the waitresses attention a few times who looked at me with a blank stare. I came here with a party of 6 and most of us got the crab cake sandwiches. They were good, not great - needed a bit more old bay or j.o. spice. The potato stuffed crab skins were the best thing we had that was an appetizer, oh my oh my those were delicious but could give you a heart attack at the same time. I don't eat mushrooms so I couldn't tell you about the crab stuffed mushrooms caps. The broiled flounder was pretty damn good (we picked off one of our friends plates because she ordered something different than the rest of us. Other places in Baltimore like the Phillips on the water (only this Phillips location because I have found the rest of them suck) and the Rusty Scupper have far superior crab cakes. I wish I would have known about the restaurant.com gift certificate, that would have made this place a bargain considering it was already reasonably priced. I'll be back because my buddy has his boat docked across the street from this place.
(3)
Matthew L.
I'll start off with saying, my review is only for breakfast. I can't bring myself to eat dinner here (though I've had the cream of crab soup several times out of the takeout bar and it is really good). A friend introduced me to breakfast at Captain James years ago. I have to admit I was skeptical at first (I mean it is shaped like a boat), however, I'll have to admit being wrong. Breakfast is cheap and the food is good. I love waking up on Sat and walking down to Captain Jame's for breakfast on a nice day. Sure it's probably touristy at night, but have you been at 9 or 10 am? Great pancakes and good coffee. If you live in the area, give it a try (breakfast that is).
(4)
Rebecca L.
"It's not so bad being in the boat"- BF's summary of Capt. James. Sit in front of the "porthole" and you have a great place to people watch. Our waiter was attentive, and I loved my crab casserole (which also did well as lunch the next day.) Wine list leaves something to be desired, and the veggie medley was a big disappointment (mushy). Cream of crab soup was good, his crab imperial was sweeter than I've had before (not sure what ingredient made it so.) Not in a hurry to go back, but would. So overall- a nice, a-ok experience.
(3)
Peter K.
I'm very particular about my crab cakes - large lumps of crabmeat, minimum of "binder"/filler, spicy but not spicy hot. Captain James more than exceeded my expectations, and at a very reasonable price. Don't let the tacky exterior scare you away from the 60 year old landmark. The interior has obviously been updated over the years, as has the menu. The portions were very large - none of us finished our serving and each of us now has a second meal for home use. More than that the vegetables were crisply steamed, not mushy, the she-crab soup had just enough spice and was not overly-thickened. Service was quite attentive at lunch; the crowd was small as the location is at the "end" of Fells Point in a residential area. And if you get some specials, you can save. What was the last time you had a bowl of soup for $2.05? Next time in Baltimore, I'm going back to try the fish.
(4)
Bon B.
We didn't know about the outdoor location until we got there. There were many people when we got there so we figured we'd give it a try. Ordered a pitcher of beer, steamed clams, potato salads, cole slaws, maryland crab soup and a dozen of medium. All of the side items were kind of cheap, though, we thought the crabs were a bit overpriced, compared to the two other places we 'd gone to at Fell's point. The seasoning on the crabs was heavy and cakey. We enjoyed the ambiance, it was nothing fancy, but that's exactly what you need when you are hammering a bunch of crabs! A picnic table, picnic bench, a wooden hammer, and a pitcher of cold beer and you are set.
(3)
Rachel K.
This place is such a tourist trap. The crabs are overpriced and not great and the charge for water! If you order soda, you can to buy by the can. There are way better places in Bmore
(2)
Sarah B.
My husband and I just finished eating here for the second time. He was not a fan the first time and felt that the food simply wasn't all that great. Tonight I convinced him to come back again with me and give it a second chance. The building itself is so neat looking, I really wanted to give it another try considering we live only 2 blocks away. When we arrive we were seated after a few minutes and left by ourselves for about 10 minutes. There were about 12-15 tables and 3 members of the wait staff from what I could tell. 10 minutes without water seemed a little long, but oh well, we weren't too concerned. Eventually a waitress came by and immediately started pushing us and tried to upsell us on everything. Our initial plan was just to get sodas and split a pizza and have salads, but as she talked about the sangria it sounded good. She also threw in that it was only a half carafe and gave you about a glass and a half of it each. So we figured why not, its just a glass of sangria and she SURE seemed to want us to have some. We ordered our food, a greek salad for me, a ceasar salad for him and a pizza to split. The salads came rather quickly and were "alright". I've definitely had better food elsewhere in Baltimore, but it wasn't the worst either. We finished our salads and she removed our knives from the plates, put the dirty knives back on the table and took the plates. After about 10-15 minutes or so the pizza came, We ate the pizza, again nothing great, but it wasn't horrible either, just kind of "EH". Then our experience went down hill. After about 30 minutes of waiting for our waitress to return with the check she finally did. We were really shocked to see our bill. It said CARAFE of Sangria $30. I thought that was awfully steep considering the sangria really didn't taste like sangria, it was more like welches fruit juice. I've been to far nicer restaurants and paid far less money for much better sangria, such as PAZO, Roy's, Jack's Bistro etc. Now I recognized we weren't at a place like that so it was bound to not be quite as great and very different type of food. But it certainly shouldn't cost as much as it did! Considering my salad was $7, the pizza was $13 my measly glass of sangria (not glass and a half) shouldn't have averaged out to be $15. Why buy a carafe? Then I remembered the waitress did say that we would get half a carafe, which made much more sense, there must have been an error on the bill. So when she returned I pointed out that we ordered have a carafe, not a whole one. She then got rather snotty and said "That's the size of all carafes" and started to point out other tables with carafes and that they are all the same size. I politely explained that she had said half carafe earlier and when I looked at the price I was rather surprised by the cost on the bill, it was expensive. She then, in a very rude manner stated "Well actually this is a great deal." And I said "No it truly is very expensive." and she stormed off ran our card and returned. We go out to eat pretty frequently and never have a problem spending money on food, we aren't cheap skates. I was just incredibly surprised by the price of something that tasted so poorly and had so little of it. Our experience really would have been much better had the waitress handled herself better, or apologized for a miscommunication. Instead she tried to tell me that I was crazy for thinking this $30 teeny amount of sangria was a good deal. I don't think we'll be returning to this place and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does either.
(1)
Sally N.
We originally went to the outside portion of the Captain James for crabs. We came at 9pm, and was told that all-you-can-eat crab is over AT 9. Fine, so we tried to check the menu for the price, and apparently there is no price for an items on menu. Bad sign. We asked the waitress, and she was having an attitude, and told us that the smallest crab (half the side of my palm) was almost $40/ dozen. The med is over $50, and the large (which is really the normal size crab u find in market) is like over $60/ dozen!!! I mean is it me or this is a rip off? I can easily gets alive blue crabs from a fish market for under $15/dozen in NY!! We left and went to the restaurant across the street, because thats the only place that was open (we later find out its the same rest.). We ordered the crab casserole, spanikopita and soft shell crab sandwiches. 10 mins later, waitress told us the crab casserole is finished...at that point i was kinda annoyed, so I ordered crab cake sandwiches. The spanikopita was ok, nth special. The crab cake was actually not bad, we both liked it. However, she forgot our soft crab sandwich order. At that point, we didnt even bother to tell the waitress, so we just finished out food and left. Will I come back to Baltimore again? 99% no.
(2)
Y. T.
I really like Captain James Landing (as well as the Crab House across the street). It has been in the Fells Point area for a VERY long time (well before going to Fells was the "cool" thing to do), so it means they're doing something right. It might not be the cheapest place to go to eat, but everything I have had on the menu (mainly seafood, Italian & Greek specialties) has been delicious and the prices are reasonable, given the area. I especially like the pizza. Best of all, the owners have gone out of their way to make me and my family & friends feel welcome. They truly know how to run a business and serve their customers.
(4)
Jessica P.
A very strange time my friends and I had after bar hopping in fells point we decided to hail a cab and grab a bite to eat and sober up. The cab driver dropped us at a 24 hour diner that was a big boat on water gutted out to be a restaurant, we sat in their "formal" dining room, you pass their eat and go area which reminds me of G&M's carry out area before the remodel. We sat down and looked around us there was a tacky red carpet some floral decorations, golden rods and lots of different types. They have a varied price range and everything from breakfast foods to pizza and seafood of course. The food is always better when a bit tipsy otherwise I probably woudn't have chosen this place when sober.
(3)
Lee M.
Cheap food in a restaurant from the seventies. The owner is a real prick to the employees so you could save your money and go across the street to the Sip and Bite Diner. They have a lot of the same stuff.
(3)
Eric P.
Captain James Landing is another one of those very bizzarely Baltimore establishments. Its a 24-hour moderately upscale diner (at least, as diners go) in a building decorated, both inside an out, to resemble a boat. Captain James offers what may be the cheapest breakfast in Canton, if not Baltimore: 2 eggs, bacon, toast and home fries for $2.75.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Madison H.
Decent place, nothing to write home about. I was a bit upset, I made a reservation and yet I still had to wait 15 minutes to be seated. If I had known that, I wouldn't have made a reservation at all. The food was okay, nothing great. Stay way from the shrimp salad, very bland. Our waitress wasn't very attentive. Rather bummed out about the whole experience.
(3)Sophia L.
I had a lovely time at Captain James' this weekend. The restaurant is well decorated and the ambience is refreshing. There were plenty of natural light and gives off a feel of casual, yet special enough. The experience certainly made our annual trek to Baltimore area for crabbing worthwhile. Obviously, their steamed crabs is a must-get! It's about $57 for a dozen of medium-sized crabs. As a rule of thumb, it's generally enough for each person to get 3-4 crabs. I also highly recommend ordering a few other dishes. The seafood is well worth it at Captain James. I especially recommend getting Captain's Classic Crab Cake - it will not disappoint -- literally two largest lumps of crab cakes I've ever seen. Definitely worth the $25.99. My next option is to recommend getting the broiled sea scallops - especially if you are looking for a healthy seafood entree. They are very generous with their portion sizes here, so expect to get 8-10 scallops on your plate. I'm sure all the other seafood options on the menu is worth trying and if I were to go back again, I'd definitely try something new. Can't wait to uphold this tradition again in the next summer!
(5)Karen X.
PROS: Seafood platter, crabcakes, fried calamari, prime rib -- delicious!!! The crabcakes were so big and tasty... not overly seasoned with old bay. Seafood platter was very fresh. Waitress & staff were very accommodating and helpful. When my daughter requested another plate of spaghetti and meatballs and our waitress was busy, another staff member quickly put the order in and we got rather quickly. CONS: Our crab soup, although good was lukewarm. Soup should be HOT. Our non-seafood eater said the cheesesteak sandwich wasn't very good. Place can get very noisy.
(4)Vivian G.
I really enjoyed the food! Huge portions ! Super fresh crab and very reasonable prices. The staff was both knowledgable and accommodating. Will enjoy returning for another meal :) Recommend having the crab stuffed roasted chicken with roasted red skin potatoes and a vegetable medley The crab was so fresh I finished the meal three days later .....
(5)Alyssa P.
Also check out crab house across the street. It was only OK, and I didn't really love the seafood which is what they are known for. The crabs were not great at all and not worth the effort of even cracking them. The waitstaff were quite friendly and nice. We also had the lobster pot which again was just ok, no one was that impressed. I also had a salad which was actually the best thing we got I believe. Even the sides weren't up to par. The crab shack across the street is a bit better with fun atmosphere on the water, but crabs are still mediocre.
(2)Andrea K.
We had a late lunch today and Captain James Restaurant for the first time. We ordered the crab dip which came out hot and was very tasty. After we ordered our entrees, the wait for our food was a little longer than I expected for a slow afternoon. I also had to wait longer than I wanted for a refill on my tea but our waitress was very kind. The food was delicious and I would definitely come back again to try other things on their menu. I got the seafood ceviche salad, it was amazing and very filling. My aunt got the salmon pasta dish which also looked fantastic. Can't wait to come back!
(4)Bernie C.
No. No no no. No. If you're going to base your restaurant off of seafood, decorate it like a boat, and sell yourself on your seafood, your seafood better freakin be fresh and cooked well. Nobody ever ever ever order the seafood nachos. Oh god it just came back up a little in my mouth. Oh it was so bad. So so so so bad. What is that sauce? The weird creamy thing that's definitely not typical and tastes stale and seems to not be made of neither cream or cheese but like... uncooked roux? And The scallops and the shrimp and crap in that sauce? Methinks not. A) definitely frozen, 100% they're frozen, and B) there is really no justification for charging 11$ for terrible seafood terrible sauce over stale chips in one huge gloopey mess. Oh god just don't. Just say no to the nachos. shudder. I had the seafood platter. The scallop, salmon, and shrimp were all overcooked. I mean come on, a seafood place has got to cook seafood properly. The clam casino was overcooked and weird and terrible and just oh so bad, like stuff piled on top of a clam with no rhyme or reason to it. The tiniest clam in the world by the way. The only redeeming quality was that the crab cakes were alright. ish. Also, the wait time was annoying. Oh god. So not a fan. Make it stop oh dear lord. *my friend enjoyed her one crab cake. But not its sides and not the service and she had three oysters that were not the best. Will update later if she ends up huddled over a toilet.
(1)James U.
Visited this place for the first time 2 Weeks ago. Fun atmosphere! Well run bar! Now for the bad part. Your server will present you with a tray of crab shells showing everything from Godzilla crabs costing beaucoup dollars a dozen to the Lilliputian ones at $50 a dozen! If you go for the cheap midgets you loose!! Hardly any crab meat to be found on them! Wouldn't it be more honest to serve the medium to gianormous ones at a fixed exorbitant price? I think so!! Glad I ordered the steamed shrimp which were fat and delicious! Corn on the cob and Cole slaw were pretty good! Because the place was fun and dining on the water was so pleasant on that beautiful night, I will go back prepared to spend a fortune on the bigger crustaceans!
(2)Nichole B.
The hostess and service doesn't represent the great food... I had at the spot. The hostess was cold Not accommodating. The waitress was not friendly and completely forgot my drink. The food was fabulous but the service was lacking probably because the gratuity is included.
(1)Ma-e M.
I like their menu and the seafood. I was expecting that the food price is expensive but it is reasonably priced, because the food portion is proportioned to the price. I like the seafood stew in the lunch menu; it was delicious. I like the crab cake sandwich also in the lunch menu; the crabs were big and real. Since we arrived at 11 am, we also ordered from the breakfast menu. I like the crab hash; it was fantastic. Overall, the captain took charge of the ship's kitchen and landed with an excellent execution of food service.
(4)Ebony H.
We went for a family dinner and because we had restaurant.com certificate. We got a ton of appetizers which is forgot to take pics of :-/ All of them were really good (wings, fries with crab, potato skins with crab, calamari, and garlic shrimp). We enjoyed and smashed all of the apps. I was seafood wait by the time for entrees so I ordered the ribs. I didn't eat the ribs until a day or two later and they were far from good. I wouldn't get them again but I so loved our appetizers hence the 4 stars. Shame on me for not getting a seafood dish. My dad ordered the prime rib special and it was really good. Should have followed his lead. Oh well, our server was great but I can't remember his name. We got dessert to share, Oreo cheesecake and some really good cinnamon dough and ice cream dessert. No complaints and we got a lot of food for the money even without the restaurant.com certificate.
(4)Heather M.
Came for steamed crabs. Called ahead and they said they had jumbo. Went in and they showed us the medium, large, and extra large = puny, small, a teensy bit bigger than small. I asked about the jumbo and he said they don't have any but will check. Sure enough they had some but they were NOT jumbo sized IMO and were $99 a dozen. We were hoping for big crabs and it was cold sitting outside so we decided on just some appetizers and beer. Apps were not bad. Blue Moon was good haha. Service was just alright. You can tell he was annoyed we didn't order crab. The one thing good about this place though is its nice location and atmosphere. We sat on the water side where it's more seafood and the outdoor deck is nice to sit out on. Too bad it was cold that night! Probably touristy which is why crabs are smaller and more expensive. Good ambiance for a date on a summer night.
(3)Jessica R.
My boyfriend and I came here this past weekend for brunch. Partially because there was a Groupon, but mostly for the fact that we saw a recent picture of Oprah eating here! If Oprah eats here, then it must be good, right?! There's no way you can miss this place. It looks like a giant ship just in the middle of Baltimore. They continue this theme on the inside as well. I can't really decide if I think it's tacky or cute. They have a free parking lot which was great! Nothing I hate more than fighting for parking in Baltimore. We were seated pretty quickly because we had a reservation. I recommend making reservations because the place is on the smaller side and it seemed like a popular choice for brunch. We started off with a dozen oysters. The oysters were just okay, not the best I've had. We then both ordered the Chesapeake Egg Benedict, which had crab meat on top of a traditional egg benedict. It came with 2 Benedict's, potatoes, and broccoli. Now this was great -- huge portion and the hollandaise sauce was perfect. The potatoes were really tasty as well. Our service was a bit slow. We had to wait a while before we received our check. Overall, we had a nice brunch and we'll probably be back.
(3)Gus K.
The absolute BEST Crab Cake and Surf & Turf restaurant in Baltimore! If you haven't been here you must make it your next dining experience. The ambiance in this restaurant that looks like a ship from the exterior. Everything is awesome! I've been eating here since the 1970's and I'm impressed every time! The owner makes you feel like your in his home and does everything to make your dining experience first class. The Crab Crake is made with Jumbo Lump crab meat and it is flavored with no filler. The taste is amazing!
(5)Rachel S.
Overview: Unfriendly, incompetent host. Solid crabs. Came and ate here this past weekend. Typically, we just dine out on the crab deck, but it doesn't open until the end of the month so we decided to board the boat. The interior is not nearly as tacky as the exterior, which was a pleasant surprise. Service: I called around noon to make reservations for 2 people at 5pm. The host said it was no problem. I called around 4:15 to see if we could push the reservation up to 4:30, since we underestimated our appetite. They said that the were unable to move it up, but confirmed us for 5pm. When we got there, the host insisted we had missed our reservation, which they had slated for 4pm. I was totally baffled. I explained what had happened, and the host responded quite rudely. She rolled her eyes, huffed several times and demanded to know who we spoke with. Pretty sure the point of making reservations is that THEY take down your name - NOT you take down theirs. Anyway, despite this whole unpleasant situation, she found a table for us and we were seated relatively quickly. Unfortunately, it also took the server a solid 15 minutes to come by and take our drink order and they weren't that busy. Several servers were more focused on busing tables then serving current customers. Appetizers: We ordered the sweet and sour grilled oysters. They were ok, but I probably wouldn't order them again. *Note - being from the Eastern Shore, my husband and I are crab snobs* Crabs: We split a dozen jumbo crabs, priced at $99. The crabs were fairly heavy and the meat was very flavorful, but I definitely would not call them jumbos given their smaller size. That being said, crabs are still out of season and some of the best crabs I've ever eaten came from Captain James Crab Deck. Bottom Line: Almost walked the plank before we were even seated. Will stick to the crab deck.
(3)Gloria L.
This place was lovely, especially if you get the groupon when it's available! (Got $80 worth of food for $40 *wink wink) We went for date night, got half a dozen oysters on shell, crab stuffed potato skins (AH-mazing), Imperial stuffed chicken (lots of wonderful real crab meat in between two chicken breasts), and God bless those New Zealand Lamb Chops (perfectly cooked medium) these babes are heaven-sent from baby Jesus himself The place is nice and cozy and their check comes in a little lantern thing. So cuuute! Definately coming back, Tis now my favorite date spot and I will make this trip all the way from Jersey cause it's well worth it #Yummers
(5)Khamari S.
CRAB CAKES A JUMBO ( ahh little filler ) but taste pretty Good all the same. They have a amazing deal on groupon for 40 bucks gets you 80 dollars worth of food. Beware of the 18 percent gratuity slap on however. I like to leave a good tip but only if service isnt a wreck as well. Service was postive last night but meal took 1 hour and some to arrive and 18 percent slap on grat was on check. To me this is a time the slap on is in question. With that being said this place is overall a positive experience that i wold return to for sure.
(4)Virginia B.
Mediocre food, atmosphere, and service. Crab cakes were really mushy. Buns on the fish sandwich and kids burgers were stale. Not a great experience.
(3)Michael Z.
Great portions. Appetizers were really tasty and crabcakes are generous and delicious!
(4)Caroline N.
I came here with my family of 4 adults on a Thursday evening around 6:30pm. Overall, we had a good experience with the service and the atmosphere. The food was "okay" but nothing to get too excited about. If some of the dishes were tweaked a bit, it could get better reviews. One thing that was a bit agitating was the slowness of the food. There's "sorta taking long" and then we went past that gray area... and it went to "ok... food took forever.." Service was great; water was refilled a lot - and they were very good throughout the evening. The crab cakes + french fries were yummy! The salmon my mom got was so-so. Actually, she was pretty upset at the quality of the mixed vegetable side as well. It was mediocre and deserved to be a little better than home-cooked food. For the price we were paying, I think the food falls a little short. Overall - good location and good parking + atmosphere for families, for kids, and for bigger groups... but expect to wait on the food for awhile... I think we will come again sometime, but I would not go out of my way to come here again only due to the food. There are plenty of other seafood restaurants nearby.. BUT, I did like the free parking lot whereas in Fells Point, you have to pay metered parking. We didn't know there was a Groupon when we went... (darn, no wonder it was crowded) - could have saved $40. But yes, if you have a Groupon, come and try it out.
(4)Anna S.
Great breakfast really low cost. I have been here many a time one time with a field trip of 24 kids and they were very helpful. The only issue I have is the service tends to be a little slow and it's up to the day if you get friendly staff. The atmosphere is payed back but nice.
(4)Richard C.
We spent a lot on dinner (about $55 each on mostly seafood), and it was great! Here's why: - All the food was well-prepared. Nothing dried out or burned. - Service was very attentive. - We had both drink (some kind of mojito) and appetizer (seafood nachos) special before 7pm. About half price. - We had a group that had expired a couple of weeks ago, but we were given the full promotional value for it ($40 more off)! I recall being less than satisfied in past years, but it really was good. I had the broiled seafood platter. The crab cake dominated the platter and was very very tasty. It also came with skewered shrimp and sea scallops, fish, the crab cake, clam casino, stuffed oyster (more crab meat), a potato stuffed tomato, mixed sauteed vegetables. The best thing about it is that it is very unpretentious. For its location that's saying a lot, since so must of the rest of the area has become snobbified beyond endurance. They are still running the Groupon right now - try it!
(4)Kevin C.
They messed up with our reservation and the receptionist didn't do anything to make it up. She asked if we could wait for about 10 minutes, we agreed. But instead, we had to wait for 31 minutes to be seated. During the 31 minutes, she just kept serving other customers who were already there waiting when we came in or other customers who came in later with reservations. The reasons to make a reservation is to not being needed to wait. If someone messed it up, the best the receptionist can do is to make it up. And, I don't think she did.
(1)Larissa J.
What a surprise...this place is great! I have driven by this place countless times and thought it was kind of kitchy so I never thought to go in but then a friend had a Groupon for the place and I was utterly impressed. The food was delicious, the portions were hearty and the drinks were cold! They also have some fun items on the menu - I got the Seafood "ceviche" salad and had enough for lunch the next day! The fish was fresh, the scallops melted in your mouth and the mussels and clams were delectable. The interior is awesome because they take the theme of being in a ship and make it extremely classy - there were copper sinks in the bathroom! This was not a run of the mill pirate ship we were on it was the interior of a yacht and it was amazing. We had Paul as our server and he has worked there for a while and knows his menu! Not only that but he is a local so has fun stories about the neighborhood and what it was like growing up in Canton, ask him a few questions when you are there - you will not be bored!
(4)Sarah G.
Came with 6 friends to get crabs in mid summer; sat outside at the crab house across the street on a Thursday evening. They had good happy hour deals going on and three of us got the $29 crab deal, which there is no way anyone could finish. We also got one of those giant blue fishbowl drinks ($25) and boiled shrimp, mussels, and chowder. We had a really good time here; the weather was good and we didn't have to wait for a table for more than 10 minutes and Natty Boh was $2 or $3. Parking is kind of a pain in the ass though, but that is Canton for you. Carpool if you can, or walk. Maybe I will take the #11 bus next time.
(4)jon l.
Captain James is undoubtedly an iconic Baltimore restaurant with a unique design and décor. The menu is also unique. Where else can you go for a morning Frittata, $7 cheese steak, or a $40 seafood platter; while looking out your starboard window at the bay? I have found the food to be hit or miss. The service has always been friendly, but I always feel confused about whether I am at a 4-star restaurant or a local diner... I would suggest trying this place for breakfast or lunch, because they miss the boat (pun intended) with dinner. The meal are over-priced for what is served and lack the location and ambiance needed.
(3)Amber M.
My fiancé and I come here at least twice a month for breakfast...always delicious! I order the land and sea...he ordered the chicken breakfast burrito...service is always excellent and the coffee...very good! Fair pricing (especially for seafood) The music is surprisingly a really good mix...never quiet Good sized portions-we always have some to bring home! LOL We have come for dinner...when we do-it's always delicious-I order the 1 lb of steamed snow crabs
(5)Caitlin Y.
My roommate and I being former military like to meet our friends at BWI for their layover as they are coming home from deployment. Usually we stick to places around BWI airport but last time we decided to venture into Baltimore. We were headed to another place when the ship shaped restaurant caught the eye of our recently deployed friend so we stopped. I must say I am glad we did! First off the cute girl working at the hostess station was very sweet and welcoming. She even let us look inside and kind of choose where we wanted to sit and genuinely laughed when my friends said they wanted a "hot male server." Then our server Greg showed up and he was hilarious the first thing he said to us was "So you guys wanted a hot male server, well I'm it but only because I'm the only guy working tonight." Service was excellent. He took the time to really make my friends feel special and had us all cracking up half the night. Also the drinks he made were amazing! Itsa (probably spelling his name wrong) was very friendly and accommodating as well. I saw him making his rounds talking to other tables before coming over to us. Drink wise we had the Mediterranean, the Guava Mojito and the Hispaniola. The Mediterranean is the perfect take on a dirty martini without being too dirty. The Guava Mojito was the perfect mix of sweet and savory made with basil instead mint. And the Hispaniola was like drinking an alcoholic candy bar. (Although I do believe Greg told us he substituted the Ouzo with something because it tastes better) The food was perfect, I would order everything again. Crab stuffed mushrooms, The steam pot (which are 9.95 on Thursdays), Spanakopita (this was our least favorite but only because its a huge version of it and we all love the crispy filo dough and the ratio was off) and the greek salad (I happen to love cappers so the amount they put on it was delicious). The table bread is yummy and warm too, I think my friends went through a basket each. The desserts were AMAZING. Greg told us which to have and we listened, so rice pudding, oreo cheesecake, Xango, and Baklava it was. The rice pudding was good traditional rice pudding with just a hint of lemon after taste. The Oreo cheesecake was a little slice of decadent heaven, completely chocked full of oreos. The Xango which we didn't even know what it was turned out to be similar to a panna cotta wrapped in filo dough and fried then served with good quality vanilla bean ice cream. And lastly the Baklava was perfectly sticky but could have used some more nuts in my opinion. All in all not only was the food great but the staff treated us so warmly I think this might have to be our regular spot when friends have their layovers from deployments from now on!
(5)Matthew D.
Great find ! Was in Baltimore for the holiday and came across this gem . Really cool looking place inside and has free parking . The food is not " cheap" meaning 15-28 for an entree but that's normal for decent seafood around here . There are burgers and sandwiches for less $ but I got the crab cakes and it was awesome . Beers are cheap and service is great .
(5)Rahine M.
First of I got the groupon 40 for 80$! And I did my research on the restaurant. We're are from Philly and came to BMore for a little getaway. I finally found the retaurant -in a shape of a boat. Nice touch! Private parking evening nicer. The place is not that big. The tables and seat is a right size. Me & my boo boo (she holds my heart) we got crab stuffed potato skins & 2 mixed drinks. They gave us 2 warm rolls. Honesty we was fully after that and we haven't even got our main entrées yet. 2 orders of crab cakes. And it looked soooo goood. We took a bite and we just had them box it up and we'll eat it later at the hotel. Bill came to about 90 something we added a nice tip for the server & we left. One mint for me and her. We walked the harbor. We will be back again!! :)
(4)Annabelle L.
Having driven by several times, the bf and I have been intrigued by Captain James and so we came here last Friday with a Groupon. Given that the building is shaped like a boat, the inside decor is similarly boat-themed and a bit cliched (although I think in a cute way!) They seemed quite busy, but service was quick! We ordered: 1. A dozen oysters (3 stars out of 5): came with lemon, horseradish, and cocktail sauce. The oysters were good, although a bit warm, and the best with the lemon. 2. Cream of crab soup (4 stars out of 5): sooo thick, creamy, and delicious! I didn't taste too much of the crab, but the bf loved it and downed the whole bowl! 3. Seafood stew (5 out of 5): this was my favorite! Huge chunks of fish, scallops, and shrimp in a deliciously flavorful and savory tomato broth. It was a tad on the saltier side, but I still drank the whole thing and I'm not even a big soup person! 4. Seafood platter with a lobster tail (1 star out of 5): what a disappointment. Although there was a lot of different elements, perhaps that is the problem as most of the platter was not very good. The absolute worst part was the lobster tail which had been so overcooked and ridiculously chewy. Definitely not worth the extra $10 for the lobster tail. The scallops were small, the shrimp was shrimp. The clams casino was dry and a bit burnt? The fresh fish was also dry. The best part was the crab cake with huge chunks of crab. We also ordered the escargot, but luckily (since we were stuffed!), it didn't come out! From this experience, I think Captain James is good at doing simple seafood, but anything fancier (like the seafood platter) may be a hit or miss.
(3)Joe Z.
Folks, This place has the best crab cakes in town, PERIOD! Very clean place, cool environment, fair prices, and great food. I have been eating at the Crab House across the street for over 15 years and now I frequent the restaurant too. I have never had a bad meal. I took a friend here on New Years and he said it was one of the best meals he has had in a long time (from Philly) I took my life long friend here a few weeks ago and he said (many time during the week) that it was easily the best crab cakes he has ever eaten. Service is great, staff is friendly, and ownership is down to earth. Check out their weekly specials! Awesome place! - Joe Z
(5)MiMi F.
It was okay. We visited on a Sunday night. Our waiter was great and attentive. The food...meh. I ordered the stuffed shrimp which was decent but needed more seasoning, the shrimp and vegetables. Someone in my party ordered the fried seafood sampler which was heavily battered. Another ordered the broiled sampler and she stated that it could use more seasoning also. She did mention that the oysters were good. Our party consisted of four people (three adults and one child) and 18% gratuity was already added to our check. I thought that was unusual. Overall, an okay experience but I don't think we will return.
(3)Robert F.
Disappointing. Took almost exactly an hour to get our entrees from the time we sat down and wasn't crowded. Food was ok but certainly not a standout. I actually found the seafood selection somewhat limited. Overall, sluggish and underwhelming.
(2)KG V.
Went there with fam after church for brunch coz I had Groupon discount. Place is cozy, prices very reasonable, servings generous. In short, we will def be back for more! Maybe try their dinner menu next time.
(4)C R.
Food is decent, but we've been there 3 times (twice at the dockside location and once at the one across the street) with disgraceful service from 3 different servers. One of them added 18% gratuity to our check. The manager at the dockside location ignores you and the hostess hopes you will go away when they get busy. They are obviously understaffed and the front of the house staff, including the manager, has little if any experience. The location and cooks have got to be the only things keeping this place afloat. Overall, easily the worst service in Baltimore.
(1)Susan M.
Cane here for the first time today. Service was good and food was outstanding. We had the crab Mac and cheese which was short on the crab but was a good size and tasty. I had the shrimp scampi flatbread and my hubby had the crab cakes. Enough god for 5 people easy with those three dishes. We have enough left for dinner and lunch tomorrow. Yes the prices seem high but when the food comes and you see the quality and the serving sizes it is well worth it. Best seafood around.
(5)Chad E.
Great seafood spot. Cream of crab soup with tons of lump crab, shrimp salad with huge shrimp. Snow crab legs were sweet and luscious. A great friendly atmosphere
(4)Jeff C.
Great Maryland blue crabs! They roll out the paper and place the mallets and tin bucket for the shells after ordering. A little confusing as it wasn't on the menu, we had to ask if they were available. Service was okay. I know we were there late and the waitress looked tired, but you don't want to be served by someone who can't give you a pleasant experience. It wasn't unpleasant but it could certainly have been more fun. And they add the 18% gratuity just for 3 people as if they knew their service wasn't excellent.
(4)Natty H.
The good, the bad, and the ugly...The good = food was delicious. The bad = SERVICE, absolutely horrible. The ugly = the 18% auto gratuity that our waitress/bartender/wrong food order recorder received for a job NOT well done. Beware!
(3)Leah Y.
It amazes me how the portions increase and the prices decrease an hour outside of DC. Lo and behold I got to experience some amazing lump crab cakes at Captain James Landing Restaurant. It was nearly entirely crab meat and very delicious. I would say the two crab cakes were a combined 15 ounces or more of pure lump goodness for $26. I got to substitute the rice and veggies for grits and red skin potatoes for no upcharge and cocktails were only $7. WOW.... Only the day before I went to restaurant week in DC, paid $65 and didn't have half as much food. The Good: The portions were great and the food was flavorful. I didn't like the grits. Grits should never be able to be scooped and placed on your plate like mashed potatoes. They weren't polenta grit cakes either. The shining star was the crab cakes. We also had the Crab Mac and Cheese and the Crab Dip Fries. Both were chock full of crab and were tasty. The fries were a bit salty but I could be sensitive to it since I have cut down my sodium intake. The Bad: The waitress wasn't great and she added in her 18% gratuity for our part of four. I normally give 20% or more but hey... she wasn't very attentive so she got what she deserved. We luckily made reservations at the recommendation of a tour guide and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a nice getaway from DC foodie world. :o)
(4)Keith W.
This wasn't my first or probably last time to Captain James. While I have never eaten in the mail restaurant I have gotten crabs here on several occasions. They usually have all-you-can-eat crabs on Thursdays but this year the crabs aren't very plentiful yet and they run out. The larges were pretty small and there was not much "meat". I don't blame the restaurant because they are beholden to the season. I will say that the service was excellent but their pricing was a little too high for the value.
(3)Connie J.
Went down to Baltimore for Valentine's Day & visited the National Aquarium. Had resevations made at Captain James for dinner. But with a change of plans I needed my reservation to be bumped up and basically available to me the moment my plans changed. I called in and I was able to go in early! The food is amazing! The cream of crab, oh my goodness.. DELICIOUS! Given that I was in Maryland I HAD to try the crab cakes! Well, that did not disappoint either! Overall the food was so good I had a list of food items made to-go. Oh did I mention I was heading back to Philadelphia with the food?! It was still good after the road trip back!!! The decor was perfect. This restaurant is perfect! I am in the process of planning another trip to Baltimore! Yes, just to go to Captain James Landing!!
(5)Supriya M.
There is no better way to describe Captain James Landing than by using the cliched, overly used phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover". We honestly would have never gone here if we didn't have a fantastic groupon deal. This boat-looking restaurant looks so touristy from the outside but inside, it is actually quite nice. It's no Charleston but it's definitely a very nice ambiance. We made a reservation and were seated promptly as we arrived. The food was most definitely better than expected albeit quite pricey. But I would highly highly recommend getting their $30 seafood platter which included a huge, huge and excellent jumbo lump crab cake, scallops, shrimp, oysters, flounder and some other unidentifiable yet good seafood. The platter also came with a side of rice and vegetables. For $30, this is a steal! I got the scallops which were good but after looking at the platter, seemed under-whelming. Service was quick and good and they were very accommodating with our 1 year old bringing his vegetables to the table fast. We were pleasantly surprised by Captain James Landing and would recommend this for seafood to anyone - especially if there's a groupon available!
(4)George I.
Good food, fair price, free parking, clean. We are from Philadelphia and drive down just to get the crabs in the restaurant and at their crab house across the street. Worth the trip.
(5)Brenton W.
My good friend from college lives in Baltimore and I in Silver Spring. Once a month we meet up at Captain James for breakfast and every time I volunteer to make the 1/2 hour trip his way so we can eat here. Granted, I've only had breakfast here so I can't vouch for their seafood or any other meals. Fairly priced -- I'd be even willing to say surprisingly cheap for the quality of food that is brought out. Some of the best scrapple I've ever tasted (burnt around the edges and perfectly thick). After you've been here a few times, the waitresses know you by name.
(5)Maggie S.
I ordered flounder filet. It is not good. Too wet and the too creamy. The fish is embedded with water
(1)Ashlee J.
Went here on a Groupon whim and was pleasantly surprised. The Gummy Bear Martini tasted like an alcoholic cream soda but did have Gummy Bears in it. The asian chili chicken wings were the best (and they fried them hard as requested). Not kidding, I may go back just for chicken wings. The crab dip stuffed potato skins were good. The server, Greg, was awesome. Was very quick to fix a dish my boyfriend didn't care for. Overall everything was good. I'll be back.
(4)Samuel G.
If you plan a visit to Baltimore, you look for somewhere that's serving tasty crabs. As we decided upon a winter trip to Baltimore; we weren't greeted with mountains of Maryland Blue Crab as you may during the summer. However, we couldn't leave without trying the staple food item that Baltimore is known for. Captain James Landing did not disappoint. This was by far our tastiest meal of the weekend. The waffle fries with crab meat; crab cake and sides (Rice Pilaf, Cauliflower Mash) were all delicious. We look forward to returning during warmer months in order to take in the full effect of Captain James Landing.
(4)Debra W.
First time here. Came for breakfast. Daughter got the breakfast tacos. Huge!! 3 pancakes filled with scramble eggs and sausage. I got the French toast with the eggs and sides again this was a big portion. The price was great for the amount of food we got. The waitress was friendly and attentive. Great food and service. Will be back again.
(5)Tony M.
And in conclusion..... After years of people telling me this place sucked, I bought a Groupon to check it out. I can't believe I left other people's opinions keep me from coming here. The service was great, the food was great, and their recent renovation of about a year ago looks great. Also, unlike a lot of places that use Groupon, the normal prices are good for the quality of the food. I should note that when I say "great" I mean for the price. Obviously with a ~$23 average entree, this is not the best restaurant in Baltimore. Seafood Nachos were stellar. Village salad reminded me of lunch in Ankara Turkey as unlike most restaurants they actually used nice capers and olives with pits. Crab cakes were HUGE, had some big chunks of crab, and had enough crab in them. Not the most crab I've seen in a crab cake, but they were good so I'm happy One thing I loved was that none of the food had too much salt in it. I'm getting really tired of feeling like my mouth is burning from salt every time I eat out. There is sea salt on the table for the people who need to consume 10x what they should.
(5)Moon C.
I'm comparing this vs LP steamers which I had crabs from last time I was in Baltimore. I felt like the crabs at LP steamers were better. The calamari was pretty good and so was the sweet potato fries, but I wasn't too impressed with the shrimp. Everything felt like more expensive, but maybe that's just because I ordered larger crabs this time. When we ordering drinks, they were out of pretty much everything. Not sure if that's normal.
(3)Alexis L.
Though we have lived close to this restaurant for about three years, my fiance and I just recently visited for dinner for the first time. Knowing it is a 24 hour joint and not knowing of any friends who have dined here, I kinda dismissed it as a restaurant to visit. Shame on me! My fiance had a living social (or was it groupon?) deal and we decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the decor and feel of the restaurant. It has a nautical theme and, I believe, is newly renovated. While Captain James specializes in seafood, my fiance ordered steak and I ordered Chicken Marsala. My fiance really enjoyed his steak. My Chicken Marsala was good. Not the best but the not worst. We look forward to returning to enjoy crabs or other seafood options.
(3)Patti N.
Wow! Found this with groupon. Always thought those who offer groupons are in need of customers. Not so here. They were full at 11 am last Sunday morning, and food was so excellent they should not need anything but word of mouth. My husband had the Chesapeake Benedict and I the Chesapeake hash. Both were so full of delectable lump crab meat it was a dominant flavor. Both dishes had perfectly poached eggs and a great hollandaise. Mine was so much I took half home for dinner. Definitely will be going back ASAP.
(5)Matt J.
My wife and I came here due to a Groupon we had. Being a lifetime resident of Baltimore, I was surprised that I had never eaten here. First of all having a private lot in the Canton area is a huge plus, as on a Saturday night parking is at a premium. I would rate our experience as good but not great for the price of the food. Our table was ready at about 8 for a 7:45 reservation which is not the end of the world considering they had a large party that refused to get up even though they had paid about 20 minutes ago. Our waiter was good and attentive although he did vanish a few times and was really hard to hear. But he took good care of our table. For food, we started with Escargot which was simply delicious. For soups I had the Cream of Crab which was bland yet had a lot of lump crab meat in it. My wife had French Onion soup that was great, I wish I had gotten that. For dinner I had the Brazilian Lobster tails stuffed with Crab Imperial. I'm just gonna say that it was fantastic. My wife ended up with a seafood platter that looked and she said tasted really good but was too much for her to eat. So Yay lunch the next day. On a whole it was a good experience, I think the prices are a little high for what you get. I also am not a fan of the automatic 18% tip on meals over $75.00
(3)Rita F.
My husband and I went to Captain James for the first time over Memorial Day weekend. We went for brunch and were not dissappointed....WOW! Awesome! We each ordered a "Benedict" - I had the traditional and my husband had the steak Benedict w sauteed mushrooms. Lets just say we can't wait to go back...Great service, great food, great ambience. Also want to try the Captain James Crab Shack...right on the Bay...
(4)Justin P.
My go to place for crabs on the water! Love coming here and the crabs/seafood are great!
(4)Axl R.
FOOD: Do not try to special order anything, because they are going to get it wrong. I asked for no Parmesan cream, I got Parmesan cream. I asked for egg whites, but I got full eggs. We asked for milk not cream, we got cream. We did not get toast, even though it came with my meal. There was a lot of confusion associated with ordering. Aside from that though, the food was GREAT. However, it's certainly easier to make food good when it is full fat and butter. Honestly, even with all the errors and not actually getting what I wanted at all, we were both satisfied. The seafood frittatta had lots of good seafood. The burrito was quite tasty. The homefries were neither too oily or salty, nor too dry. I would say the pancakes were better than average. SERVICE: Um, just be prepared to order everything like three times. The servers were all super sweet though and were genuinely interested in serving us. AMBIENCE: Brunch ambiance was perfect. We went early Sunday morning, so there were not that many people. The restaurant was nice and cool inside when it was sweltering outside. There were not many people and there were typical, Baltimore, nice people inside, (not a fancy/swanky crowd) which we liked. Would I go back?? WELL, honestly no. The food was good, but we didn't get what we wanted. I think if you like full fat food and have no expectation for exactness of service, then you'll like this place.
(4)Amy V.
We came here for breakfast yesterday, and I had the crab hash. It was "OK." Lots of crab chunks. I think this place has great decor (the restaurant is shaped like a ship), and the windows are big oceanview windows. Me saying the hash was just "OK" does not reflect on the restaurant at all. I'm just not a hash kind of girl, but I'd definitely come back to try something else on the menu. Reasonably priced even without the Groupon available, this place is a winner!
(4)Elise B.
Let's just say... Captain AWESOME!! They have the best crabs that I've ever had; wonderfully seasoned. I went to both the Crab Shack and the actual restaurant. Both were different but great experiences. Oh and the crabcakes were absolutely delicious-...Yummm. They were large with no filling at all. They were great. Even the bread was delicious. I would most definitely recommend this place. Oh and free parking!! It was so worth the 3 hour drive to celebrate my birthday.
(4)Dana J.
I lived right around the corner from here for 10 years and would only go if a friend invited me. Well that changed over the weekend. I was in town for a rollerblading event and all the others in the event were from other states, for lunch everyone wanted to go to "the ship"...as we had skated by it earlier Saturday. We were seated promptly. The waitress was very nice. I ordered a crab cake sandwich less the bread. I am usually not one to order a crab cake because generally they are not to terrific no matter where ya get them. But after having a "crab cake" in FL that put most crappy crab cakes to shame I decided that I would try out Captain James crab cake. I ordered it broiled(cause really...that is the ONLY way) and it was AMAZING!!!!! I would definitely recommend them to anyone from out of town who wants a great crab cake done right!!!!!!! The remodel also makes the place look great, and it's about time!!!! Also a skater friend got the ceviche and said it was phenomenal!!!!
(5)Angela B.
My boyfriend and I had dinner here for restaurant week and we are definitely giving 5 stars for this place. The service was fantastic, as soon as a completed plate was pushed to the edge of the table it was immediately picked up. Our water glasses were always filled and our server was very pleasant and checked on us, but wasn't overbearing. The restaurant and bathrooms were very clean. The food was great. We both got the three course restaurant week dinner. We got the Seafood Nachos, the Crab Fries (better than nachos), Grilled Mahi-Mahi, the Seafood Platter, Baklava Sunday and the Bananas Foster Xango (shouldn't be legal, it was so good). Definitely a place to check out.....
(5)Larry C.
Contrary to some of the reviews here, I loved it. The crab cakes were out of this world and the service was very, very good. The waiter mentioned that it had been recently renovated and changed concept a bit so perhaps that's the reason for the better experience I had than most.
(5)Megan H.
Great food especially the seafood alfredo. I actually purchased a Groupon and haven't been in many years. I was thoroughly impressed with my recent visit. The only thing I didn't like was the busboy. He was somewhat rude when my husband asked how much longer before the dinner rolls arrive. I felt my husband was pleasant when he asked considering we were waiting for nearly 20 minutes after being seated. Other than the bus boy, I enjoyed the visit and look forward to returning.
(4)C R.
The seafood pasta is wonderful. It comes with shrimp, scallops and lobster. I don't eat scallops so they let me substitute crab meat for no extra charge. That was good since it was already $24. My husband ordered the prime rib. Both of our meals were great. The Chicken Parmesan was not very good but who orders chicken parm at a seafood place anyway? My 7 year old lol The rolls were great and our server was very welcoming. We found a groupon so that made our meal much more affordable. Great choice.
(4)Victoria L.
Touristy? Um, it's a boat-shaped restaurant. Yes, it's touristy. However, the food is surprisingly good! We went here with some out-of-town family because hey, it's a boat! (or at least looks like one). Most of the people got crabcakes (shocker), and no one was disappointed. I got kebabs (what, I can't eat seafood) and they were actually pretty tasty! It is really meant for tourists so the ambiance reflects that. However, it means that you can walk in wearing flip-flops and a Transformers t-shirt and no one will bat an eyelash. The place really was more than meets the eye.
(4)Cary B.
This is an older restaurant located in the midst of a trendy Canton neighborhood. It's kind of a dowdy, dated place but nonetheless clean, with a decent "down home" family atmosphere. The menu is sizable and kind of traditional. The crabs cakes were huge and meaty at a relatively low price (2 for $23 including two sides). The scallops were also good, but could have used a tad more seasoning. Service was prompt and attentive, and the complementary self-park lot was a great convenience. With the restaurant.com coupon we enjoyed a hearty meal at minimum cost. Would definitely pay Captain James a return visit.
(4)Marc B.
Party of four, Saturday, January 17, 2015. We have been Maryland residents our entire life, and have visited Baltimore hundreds of times and eaten at many of Baltimore's best Restaurants. We called to make a reservation prior to going. We talked to the manager and requested a reservation for 4:30 PM, and we were told that the entire Restaurant was booked. The manager said that the only possible time was at 4:00 PM or after 9:00 PM. We accepted and secured the 4:00 PM time arriving a little after 4:00 PM, and stayed until about 5:30 PM. We had a very good view of the entire Restaurant during our visit, and most tables remained empty during our entire visit. What happened to the crowd of diners that had booked the entire Restaurant we were told about? We ordered a variety of food, including seafood and traditional fare. The food was good, and our server was polite and courteous. We found the prices to be very expensive compared to other Restaurants of this type. One example a two soft shell crab platter was $40 !!! We buy fresh seafood all the time and can get easily get the same for entree for ~$20 elsewhere. There is a very limited choice of fish, which we thought strange for a seafood Restaurant in Maryland. The high prices for seafood entrees were pretty much across the board. However, many of the prices for traditional food and sandwich's were within an acceptable range, but still on the high side. The Restaurant does have weekday specials that were advertised, but these too were expensive. Surprisingly there is a reasonable kids menu. Expect to pay around $50 per person for dinner on the weekend. This Restaurant automatically tacks on a 18% gratuity to your bill. The service we received was worthy of this gratuity, but we would have liked to be able to make that determination ourselves. How does this Restaurant keep track of exceptional, and or poor service? The Restaurant has a very large bar, but did not offer draft beer, only bottles which we thought was ridiculous for a Baltimore Restaurant. Even though the Restaurant touts steamed crabs everyday, they had no steamed crabs on our visit. They stated that the truck did not arrive? I suggest that you inquire prior to your visit if steamed crabs is what you want, and what the price is. The main restaurant is not on the Baltimore harbor as pictures would have you assume. The main Restaurant actually has a unremarkable street view. However there is a separate building across the street and parking lot which is on the harbor, but was closed during our visit. The overall interior of the Restaurant has a very simple appearance almost fast food like. The Restaurant was cold and we had to keep our jackets on for our entire visit, but were still not comfortable.
(2)Tracy M.
Excellent grilled shrimp and crab cakes.
(4)Matt S.
Captain James has 2 locations, there's the main restaurant that looks like a ship, then another more casual spot right across the street with outdoor seating. We went to the outdor seating location and it was pretty good. You order crab by the 1/2 dozen along with clams, mussels, shrimp, etc. Everything arrives family style where they pour it onto the table and everyone digs in, throwing your shells into large red buckets. Add a few pitchers of beer and you're set. They real go heavy on the seasoning for the crab, and it's a little pricey. But our server was great. She was attentive and friendly, which goes a long way.
(3)David I.
I had two out of town visitors who had a craving for seafood. We were downtown for an O's game and decided to go somewhere not so touristy. This place fit the bill perfectly. Pros: 1. Good selection 2. Casual 3. Great tasting food 4. Not crowded, calm atmosphere Cons: 1. Slow kitchen 2. Good distance away from inner harbor (although there is a water taxi stop right outside). More Info: We made the mistake of walking here from the inner harbor. About 40+ minutes each way through some not so great neighborhoods. As we walked up, 3 police cars pulled up and the officers ran inside the restaurant. We almost turned around and looked for somewhere else, but decided to risk it. We were seated and our drinks came out fast. We looked over the menu, which was more extensive than the offerings on the inner harbor. And much cheaper!! I ordered the imperial, someone else went with the sampler, and the last person ordered a crab cake sandwich. It took roughly an hour between the time we ordered and when we were served our food. Everything was absolutely amazing and fresh. In fact, the person who ordered the crab cake was impressed at how little filler there was in it. This is a place I would definitely come to again if I had time to kill. If they could speed things up a bit in the kitchen, it would be much, much better!
(4)Stev F.
Stuffed myself with Crabs and Crab Dip. Excellent!!!!!!!!
(4)Ed W.
So went here for breakfast last Saturday. I had never been here before but my friends' indicated that it was completely remodeled on the first floor and the menu was also new. We had a great breakfast. I had the eggs benedict with Steak for $9! The coffee was standard but you never had to ask for a refill. I'll definitely be back. We even briefly spoke to the owner on the way out complimenting him on the place and he was very gracious. The Sip n Bite across the street doesn't compare.
(4)Amanda M.
This food is disgusting and OVERPRICED. I ordered the filet mignon and it was extremely dry, burnt, and tasted gross. It also came with veggies that looked overcooked and not fresh at all (I imagine it came from a can or the freezer). My fiancée ordered the seafood platter, and I think the only thing he could even consider putting into his mouth was the crab cake. I'm usually not a picky eater, but I couldn't finish even half of my plate. By the way, it took over an HOUR to get the food AND the food is extremely overpriced....... Thank goodness I bought a Groupon for this place so I didn't have to pay full price, although even paying only half price was too much for a place like this. AVOID THIS PLACE!! I'm surprised it's still even operating. One more thing- we found hair in my food, as if things weren't gross enough.
(1)Laura T.
Always an amazing late night spot to eat some greasy but filling food! If you are leaving a lounge, club, bar, or you're just hungry, they are the place to be! The service is fast no matter how busy it is and you get your money's worth.
(5)Julie R.
We have been to Captain James before they renovated. While we loved the food--always fresh nicely and traditionally prepared seafood--we didn't love the old school atmosphere. We learned that the owner's son took over and redid the place so we went in mid-May. It looks great! Super-cute nautical theme and we thought some menu updates as well. The food is still wonderful and served in those traditional crocks we love. We've had the crabcakes, scallops, crab imperial-stuffed shrimp (no breading, yay!), and flounder. All were traditionally prepared, moist, fresh, and flavorful. The food is traditional, if you don't feel like a new take on fish with dollops of foam or silly sauces on the place, hit up Captain James because you won't be disappointed. Service was great. Loved it!
(3)Heb Y.
The customer service here was great. The food was delicious, came during restaurant week and got these great portions and amazing quality food for a great price. The food is quite rich, so I advise going in hungry. I would recommend the creamed crab soup, the lobster roll, and the mahi mahi.
(4)Dan P.
I've been twice. First time the food was great and the service was excellent. The second time the food was good but the service was slow. Our waiter was a nice guy, but he was just overwhelmed with larger tables. Drinks were empty most of the night and at one point I called for him and he told me "one minute" but he didn't come back for 10 minutes.
(3)Mike T.
The outside of this restaurant is pretty neat, the shape of a ship. And then you walk in the restaurant entrance where there are a few real casual tables with what seemed to be the owner and a friend watching TV. He pointed us to the main dining room...very strange. Anyhow, the maine dining room is dated to be sure, the interior likely has not been changed much in 25-30 years. Waitstaff was helpful from the start. However, their beer list was not good, at all. Their were something like 8 choices in total, most of them were also 30+years old, i.e. Budweiser, Coors, Miller and 1 bottle of Sam Adams, really ??? The food was pretty good, albeit a bit pricy. Deserts were average, expected more from the Baklava from a place that seemed to be owned by Greeks, and regardless of their origin, made a point of telling us that it was made in house. So, the meal was filling and certainly not bad. But, if they modernized decor, music, beer list and tinkered with their dessert menu, they would get another 1-2 stars.
(2)Zhicao F.
Excellent crab market, very good steamed crab (though it would be better if they put less pepper and salt on the crab), but other stuff in the crab market is a bit pricy.
(4)John H.
Our party of 4 came here last night in because one of our friends had never had crabs and we had a Groupon. The restaurant is in the shape of a ship so that was tacky but there was a free private parking lot across the street which made up for the fact that we were walking into a tourist trap. I know it's the off season for crabs but for $65 a dozen large, these were the worst crabs I have ever had. They were not fresh and dead prior to cooking. This is a fact because the meat was mushy and not firm. At all. I should of said something to the manager but we were too exhausted to complain. That aside, the service was great. Our waitress was a nice lady who explained everything and helped us with the menu. My soft shell crab sandwhich was huge and very very good. The crab cake sandwich was full of lump and also extremely delish however they were a bit chintzy on the side of french fries. OVerall a good experience at this restaurant but I would NOT come here for steamed crabs. There are far better options such as Canton Dockside and even Bo-ring Brooks, both within 1 mile of Captain James.
(3)Joyce R.
My review is for the CRABS! I was there last summer for my birthday and had the best crabs EVER! I'm taking two friends to Baltimore in two weeks, just for these CRABS! I can't wait! I do have to say, my BF didn't like his food, he doesn't eat crabs. It was expensive and just 'eh. Service was not up to my par, either. I hope they wow me in a couple of weeks!
(4)Margie F.
We were seated by hostess who then proceeded to warn us that service may be very slow. No better explanation. The place was not all that busy. Bad vibe for a place we had not visited before. No encouragement to stick around so we left. Waste of a groupon. Big disappointment. Probably will not try again.
(1)Caleb F.
We came here for the All You Can Eat crabs... Seeing the unique building architecture of a naval ship as the restaurant only to find out that was the wrong establishment. The all you can eat comes with smallest sized crabs, one cup of Tomato Crab Soup and an ear of corn. GOOD: A nice view of the harbor. The crab was fresh. Easy to open. BAD: For $30/person, you have to eat 10 crabs to break even with ala carte. They also give you the smallest size crabs and limit you to 2 hrs eating time. The seasoning was overdone making the crab extremely salty. Which forced you to buy a soda or water which they sold by the can/bottle. And for a party of 5, they charged an automatic 15% gratuity. FAV: The corn was really good. I would say the crab if they minus the seasoning.
(2)Valerio M.
Very cheap and good food, but a 6/10 overall. Food was good, service was fair, ambiance was bad. I had 3 soft shell crabs for just $16. Portions are very reasonable. Awful selection of wines.
(3)Chris K.
The Good: - Dirt cheap breakfast and a lot of it - $9.99 all-you-can-eat breafast before 10AM - You get to eat inside of a "boat" The Bad: - All-you-can-eat breakfast has a time limit of 1 hour - Double shooting outside in Sept. '08 Is this place for you? I don't think there is a better breakfast deal in all of Baltimore and you can't beat the decor of this restaurant.
(3)Andrew M.
Drunkards off the port bow! Drunkards off the port bow! Presiding over the corner of Boston and Aliceanna is a restaurant disguised as a hulking front quarter of a freighter ship. Captain James' grub will get you in ship shape for an evening of boozing down the neighboring Boston Street bar corridor. Scurvy dogs eat at the strange uninviting small mess hall section off of the Aliceanna entrance. Be brave, and seek higher ground past the flourescent lit wierdness and cathode tube TV blaring ambiance for the formal dining area. Female servers in Love Boat themed purser's outfits welcome you aboard into a candle lit nautical dining room. Expensive kebabs, crab cakes, and spanikopita are not a nod to Greek shipping magnates. Greektown mafioso ownership is floating more than a few drachmas through the Captain. How do you think Captain James persuaded the water taxi to stop at their waterfront crab deck goldmine? Pass on dinner, and set sail to "The Ship" for one of the best breakfasts downtown. Eastside churchgoers in all shapes in all shapes, sizes, and colors roll into the ship in their Sunday best. Hungover Cantonites who can't get into the Sip & Bite across the street may be fortunate enough to stagger into the ship for some scrapple and eggs. Highlandtown hons wolf waffles to fuel a work week on the docks. Kids ask to go to "the ship". They love the collosal stuffed rockfish on the wall, friendly waitress, crayons on the paper covered tables, and feeding leftover toast to the ducks across the street. Lookouts spy huge freighters unloading sugar across the harbor at Domino's sugar through porthole shaped windows. Aye aye Captain!
(4)Rose S.
Brown paper as the tablecloth, biting flies, buckets of beverages, crabs smothered in Old Bay, sitting on the Harbor, check! If you enjoy working for your food, Capt James is the place to go - all you can eat medium & extra large crabs in 2 hrs. Beverages are by the can. The Old Bay smothered across your arms & all over your face are the expression of having successfully tackled the crabs dumped from cookie sheet to grocery bag tablecloth.
(3)Melissa W.
Had steamed crabs here on Friday night. Was home from a recent move down south. I couldn't wait to get some hard blue crabs! They sucked! They line the crabs up according to size on a paper plate type thing and bring them around to your table. They all looked like the same size to us so we chose something middle of the road pricewise. Most of the crabs we ate didn't seem like they had been cooked enough. My husband, a hearty crab eater, ate three crabs as opposed to his usual 6-7 so as not to offend our host. Soup was terrible. French fries were OK. Never offered pitchers of any type drink, instead, our iced tea was of the canned variety. Our waiter was rude and abrupt even to an elderly woman eating with us. He blew by the table periodically to ask how we were doing as if he cared. We really were an afterthought. There were no managers that we could see, perhaps, that's why the service was lacking. I wouldn't go back here even if someone else was treating. I give Captain James one star for the view of the water which was nice, although the flies were nasty and we had to cover everything in sight to keep them off the crabs we hadn't eaten yet. I felt bad for our host who wound up taking lots of crabs home with her. Bottom Line: If you want consistently good crabs, trek out to the Ship's Cafe in Catonsville. Had them on Sunday and they were awesome! They have never disappointed us when it comes to crabs. Well worth the price. Get what you pay for...great service and great crabs!
(1)Kerry S.
We went to the restaurant side and not the crab house across the street. My boyfriend was wearing a tank top so we could not sit in the main dining room. It shocked us that they were that strict on men's clothing! They stuck us in the "diner" room which was very small. It was just us and the owner & his buddy in there watching tv. The owner had cranked the tv up super loud so he could hear it. That was a bit annoying. He constantly flipped through the channels and talked loudly on his cell phone. But we were starving so we decided to stick it out. I had ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce. The sauce had a hint of cinnamon in it, so that was a little different. Overall, the spaghetti was decent. My partner ordered a prime rib with mashed potatoes. He said that his dinner was outstanding. They cooked the rib to perfection. The waiter was very attentive and polite. He made sure to refill our drinks before they were even half way empty. The decor is a little gloomy and needs an update. The dress code still throws me off. There were women in the dining room in plain tank tops. So, I dont know why a man cant wear a tank top? I am happy that we stopped here. The food was worth it despite the loud owner and poor decor. They do have an ATM in the "Diners" room. We had seen a handful of tourists stop in just to grab some money from the ATM and leave. The owner didnt seem to care.
(3)Jon K.
3.5 stars...... This place was pretty good, not great but pretty good. The atmosphere was kind of old fashioned to tell you the truth. I don't know why people think this place is touristy, I felt like I was surrounded by old people in this restaurant as many of the people were much older than me including the staff. The service was good, not great as I had to get the waitresses attention a few times who looked at me with a blank stare. I came here with a party of 6 and most of us got the crab cake sandwiches. They were good, not great - needed a bit more old bay or j.o. spice. The potato stuffed crab skins were the best thing we had that was an appetizer, oh my oh my those were delicious but could give you a heart attack at the same time. I don't eat mushrooms so I couldn't tell you about the crab stuffed mushrooms caps. The broiled flounder was pretty damn good (we picked off one of our friends plates because she ordered something different than the rest of us. Other places in Baltimore like the Phillips on the water (only this Phillips location because I have found the rest of them suck) and the Rusty Scupper have far superior crab cakes. I wish I would have known about the restaurant.com gift certificate, that would have made this place a bargain considering it was already reasonably priced. I'll be back because my buddy has his boat docked across the street from this place.
(3)Matthew L.
I'll start off with saying, my review is only for breakfast. I can't bring myself to eat dinner here (though I've had the cream of crab soup several times out of the takeout bar and it is really good). A friend introduced me to breakfast at Captain James years ago. I have to admit I was skeptical at first (I mean it is shaped like a boat), however, I'll have to admit being wrong. Breakfast is cheap and the food is good. I love waking up on Sat and walking down to Captain Jame's for breakfast on a nice day. Sure it's probably touristy at night, but have you been at 9 or 10 am? Great pancakes and good coffee. If you live in the area, give it a try (breakfast that is).
(4)Rebecca L.
"It's not so bad being in the boat"- BF's summary of Capt. James. Sit in front of the "porthole" and you have a great place to people watch. Our waiter was attentive, and I loved my crab casserole (which also did well as lunch the next day.) Wine list leaves something to be desired, and the veggie medley was a big disappointment (mushy). Cream of crab soup was good, his crab imperial was sweeter than I've had before (not sure what ingredient made it so.) Not in a hurry to go back, but would. So overall- a nice, a-ok experience.
(3)Peter K.
I'm very particular about my crab cakes - large lumps of crabmeat, minimum of "binder"/filler, spicy but not spicy hot. Captain James more than exceeded my expectations, and at a very reasonable price. Don't let the tacky exterior scare you away from the 60 year old landmark. The interior has obviously been updated over the years, as has the menu. The portions were very large - none of us finished our serving and each of us now has a second meal for home use. More than that the vegetables were crisply steamed, not mushy, the she-crab soup had just enough spice and was not overly-thickened. Service was quite attentive at lunch; the crowd was small as the location is at the "end" of Fells Point in a residential area. And if you get some specials, you can save. What was the last time you had a bowl of soup for $2.05? Next time in Baltimore, I'm going back to try the fish.
(4)Bon B.
We didn't know about the outdoor location until we got there. There were many people when we got there so we figured we'd give it a try. Ordered a pitcher of beer, steamed clams, potato salads, cole slaws, maryland crab soup and a dozen of medium. All of the side items were kind of cheap, though, we thought the crabs were a bit overpriced, compared to the two other places we 'd gone to at Fell's point. The seasoning on the crabs was heavy and cakey. We enjoyed the ambiance, it was nothing fancy, but that's exactly what you need when you are hammering a bunch of crabs! A picnic table, picnic bench, a wooden hammer, and a pitcher of cold beer and you are set.
(3)Rachel K.
This place is such a tourist trap. The crabs are overpriced and not great and the charge for water! If you order soda, you can to buy by the can. There are way better places in Bmore
(2)Sarah B.
My husband and I just finished eating here for the second time. He was not a fan the first time and felt that the food simply wasn't all that great. Tonight I convinced him to come back again with me and give it a second chance. The building itself is so neat looking, I really wanted to give it another try considering we live only 2 blocks away. When we arrive we were seated after a few minutes and left by ourselves for about 10 minutes. There were about 12-15 tables and 3 members of the wait staff from what I could tell. 10 minutes without water seemed a little long, but oh well, we weren't too concerned. Eventually a waitress came by and immediately started pushing us and tried to upsell us on everything. Our initial plan was just to get sodas and split a pizza and have salads, but as she talked about the sangria it sounded good. She also threw in that it was only a half carafe and gave you about a glass and a half of it each. So we figured why not, its just a glass of sangria and she SURE seemed to want us to have some. We ordered our food, a greek salad for me, a ceasar salad for him and a pizza to split. The salads came rather quickly and were "alright". I've definitely had better food elsewhere in Baltimore, but it wasn't the worst either. We finished our salads and she removed our knives from the plates, put the dirty knives back on the table and took the plates. After about 10-15 minutes or so the pizza came, We ate the pizza, again nothing great, but it wasn't horrible either, just kind of "EH". Then our experience went down hill. After about 30 minutes of waiting for our waitress to return with the check she finally did. We were really shocked to see our bill. It said CARAFE of Sangria $30. I thought that was awfully steep considering the sangria really didn't taste like sangria, it was more like welches fruit juice. I've been to far nicer restaurants and paid far less money for much better sangria, such as PAZO, Roy's, Jack's Bistro etc. Now I recognized we weren't at a place like that so it was bound to not be quite as great and very different type of food. But it certainly shouldn't cost as much as it did! Considering my salad was $7, the pizza was $13 my measly glass of sangria (not glass and a half) shouldn't have averaged out to be $15. Why buy a carafe? Then I remembered the waitress did say that we would get half a carafe, which made much more sense, there must have been an error on the bill. So when she returned I pointed out that we ordered have a carafe, not a whole one. She then got rather snotty and said "That's the size of all carafes" and started to point out other tables with carafes and that they are all the same size. I politely explained that she had said half carafe earlier and when I looked at the price I was rather surprised by the cost on the bill, it was expensive. She then, in a very rude manner stated "Well actually this is a great deal." And I said "No it truly is very expensive." and she stormed off ran our card and returned. We go out to eat pretty frequently and never have a problem spending money on food, we aren't cheap skates. I was just incredibly surprised by the price of something that tasted so poorly and had so little of it. Our experience really would have been much better had the waitress handled herself better, or apologized for a miscommunication. Instead she tried to tell me that I was crazy for thinking this $30 teeny amount of sangria was a good deal. I don't think we'll be returning to this place and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does either.
(1)Sally N.
We originally went to the outside portion of the Captain James for crabs. We came at 9pm, and was told that all-you-can-eat crab is over AT 9. Fine, so we tried to check the menu for the price, and apparently there is no price for an items on menu. Bad sign. We asked the waitress, and she was having an attitude, and told us that the smallest crab (half the side of my palm) was almost $40/ dozen. The med is over $50, and the large (which is really the normal size crab u find in market) is like over $60/ dozen!!! I mean is it me or this is a rip off? I can easily gets alive blue crabs from a fish market for under $15/dozen in NY!! We left and went to the restaurant across the street, because thats the only place that was open (we later find out its the same rest.). We ordered the crab casserole, spanikopita and soft shell crab sandwiches. 10 mins later, waitress told us the crab casserole is finished...at that point i was kinda annoyed, so I ordered crab cake sandwiches. The spanikopita was ok, nth special. The crab cake was actually not bad, we both liked it. However, she forgot our soft crab sandwich order. At that point, we didnt even bother to tell the waitress, so we just finished out food and left. Will I come back to Baltimore again? 99% no.
(2)Y. T.
I really like Captain James Landing (as well as the Crab House across the street). It has been in the Fells Point area for a VERY long time (well before going to Fells was the "cool" thing to do), so it means they're doing something right. It might not be the cheapest place to go to eat, but everything I have had on the menu (mainly seafood, Italian & Greek specialties) has been delicious and the prices are reasonable, given the area. I especially like the pizza. Best of all, the owners have gone out of their way to make me and my family & friends feel welcome. They truly know how to run a business and serve their customers.
(4)Jessica P.
A very strange time my friends and I had after bar hopping in fells point we decided to hail a cab and grab a bite to eat and sober up. The cab driver dropped us at a 24 hour diner that was a big boat on water gutted out to be a restaurant, we sat in their "formal" dining room, you pass their eat and go area which reminds me of G&M's carry out area before the remodel. We sat down and looked around us there was a tacky red carpet some floral decorations, golden rods and lots of different types. They have a varied price range and everything from breakfast foods to pizza and seafood of course. The food is always better when a bit tipsy otherwise I probably woudn't have chosen this place when sober.
(3)Lee M.
Cheap food in a restaurant from the seventies. The owner is a real prick to the employees so you could save your money and go across the street to the Sip and Bite Diner. They have a lot of the same stuff.
(3)Eric P.
Captain James Landing is another one of those very bizzarely Baltimore establishments. Its a 24-hour moderately upscale diner (at least, as diners go) in a building decorated, both inside an out, to resemble a boat. Captain James offers what may be the cheapest breakfast in Canton, if not Baltimore: 2 eggs, bacon, toast and home fries for $2.75.
(3)