Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)
Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)
Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)
Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)
Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)
Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)
Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)
Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)
Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)
Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)
Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)
Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)
Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)
Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)
Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)
Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)
Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)
Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)
Lauren C.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)
Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)
Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)
Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
(3)
Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)
Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)
Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)
Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)
Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)
Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)
Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)
Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)
Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)
Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)
Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)
D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)
Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)
Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)
Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)
Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)
S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)
Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)
Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)
Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)
Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)
Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)
Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)
Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)
Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)
odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)
Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)
Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)
Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)
John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)
Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)
Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
(2)
Sharon C.
Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)
Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)
Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)
Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)
Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)
Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)
V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)
Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)
Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)
Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)
Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
(1)
Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)
Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)
Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)
Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)
Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)
Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)
Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)
Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)
Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)
Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)
Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)
Sharon C.
Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)
Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)
Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)
Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)
Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)
Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)
Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)
Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)
Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)
Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)
Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)
Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)
Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)
Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)
Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)
V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)
Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)
Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)
Shalitia H.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)
Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)
Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)
Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)
Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
(3)
Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)
Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
(3)
Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)
Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)
Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)
Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)
Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)
Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)
Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)
Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)
Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)
Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)
Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)
Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)
Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)
Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)
Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)
Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)
Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)
Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)
Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)
Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)
Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)
Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)
Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)
S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)
Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)
Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)
Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)
Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)
D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)
Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)
Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)
Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)
Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)
odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)
Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)
Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)
Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)
John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)
Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)
Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)
Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)
Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
(2)
Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)
Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)
Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)
Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)
Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)
Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)
V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)
Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)
Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)
Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
(3)
Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)
Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)
Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)
Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)
Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)
Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)
Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)
Shalitia H.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)
Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
(1)
Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)
Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)
Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)
Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)
Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)
Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)
Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)
Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)
Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)
Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)
Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)
Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)
Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)
Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)
Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)
Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)
Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)
Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)
Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)
Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)
Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)
S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)
Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)
Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)
Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)
D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)
Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)
Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)
Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)
Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)
odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)
Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)
Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)
Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)
John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)
Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)
Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)
Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)
Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, 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
Sharon C.
Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)Lauren C.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
(3)Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
(2)Sharon C.
Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
(3)Mo A.
J. King's is a bar/grill/tavern type of restaurant that is in the middle of nowhere. I initially thought it might in one of the shopping plazas in Gambrills but that definitely isn't true. It's actually on an isolated back road. There's two parts of the restaurant- bar/dining room area and the patio. The décor is basic cafeteria style. I hate to say this because I'm not one to casually imply prejudice exists in any situation BUT....to say my dining group (party of 2) stood out would be an understatement. I think part of the issue was that many of the clientele were older folks who may believe that the Civil War is still going on. Matter of fact, some of them may have served in the Civil War. On the other hand, our server, Jason, was AWESOME. He was really friendly, accommodating, engaging and funny. Definitely made us feel welcome. The menu was not particularly exciting and the pricing seemed to be quite inflated. Case in point- Philly Rolls and Jumbo Wings. The rolls were said to be served two per dish and are cut in half for $12-$13. What? Additionally, the wings cost $8 for 6 and $14 for 12. Wow... I ordered 12 Jumbo Wings, which I customized to have half tossed in BBQ sauce and half tossed Garlic Parmesan. The wings were definitely jumbo, especially considering that most DC area wings look like endangered species. The sauces were decent and had some balance along with a little kick but I really couldn't find much difference between the two. The wings were also a tad on the dry side. I guess I was looking for a "wow factor" that never came. Knowing that the prices were high, I took advantage of the Yelp deal, which allows you to get $20 worth of food for $10. Without that, I probably wouldn't have came because I'm not sure the value is there. All in all, I think I'd give this place 2 stars. I don't think I'd return and I'm not sure that the food quality matches the prices BUT I think my perspective might be uniquely different than others. It's hard to enjoy eating in an uncomfortable environment though. That said, our server worked his tail off and others may have a more favorable experience, especially if they take advantage of the Yelp deal.
(2)Shalitia H.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
(1)Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)Sharon C.
Yelp has a great $10 for $20 voucher to J. King's. I used this option when I dined here and it worked out just fine. Upon entry there is a very strong "seafood" smell. I was greeted by Ashley and seated promptly. Ashley was very attentive and polite. Here at J. King's they have varying specials going on. On the Wednesday I visited it was $.50 wing night. I choose two of each flavor to get an idea of what I liked. They have old bay, garlic parmesan, bbq and buffalo. Of the flavors offered I enjoyed the garlic parmesan and old bay the most. They do have tea and coke products but the tea is unsweetened without the availability of simple syrup at the bar. The lemonade I had left something to be desired. I've made better lemonade by dissolving lemon heads in water. To use the voucher in one visit I decided to go with the classic corn-beef rueben sandwich minus the thousand island dressing and some wings to go. The sandwich comes with fries and I asked for a little bbq sauce on the side since I'm not a fan of ketchup. The sandwich size was respectable but the only dislike is that the corned beef may have been cut against the grain which made it stringy and a challenge to chew. Cell phone reception is poor in this location but they do have an outdoor seating area in the back. They offer military discounts with proof of ID. The menu has variety but if I return it'll be for the wings. There is a breakfast buffet on Sundays.
(3)Helen C.
Was hoping for more. A self proclaimed foodie. The service was very slow. Three hours for raw oysters and a few burgers. Nothing to make up for the slow service. Not really impressed. Food marginal. There are better places nearby for sure.
(2)Tracy C.
We used to love J.Kings for crabs but this year they changed a lot. I went last week and the crab feast is now $40 per person, you are time limited to 2 hours, you get 1/2 of an ear of corn and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to any bill even for just 3 people. I would have tipped 20 to 25% but since they made my tipping decision, I let it stand at 18%. The crabs were small and the shells on most were broken. That is usually a sign they reheated the crabs. The Tuesday special is now $3 per crab and the waitress said they are the same crabs as the crab feast. I would never pay 36 for extra small, barely legal size crabs. I will not be back again. There are crab stands, carry out placed and restaurants all over the place. I'm sure I can find a new favorite place.
(1)Local J.
I must be a gluten for punishment or don't feel like driving to Annapolisb for crabs. The service staff is clearly inadequate for amount of business this weekend. Kings is still pathetic and poorly run. Maybe Roy Rogers is better.
(1)Jonathan C.
Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I disagree with the overall rating. I rate it higher. The crab cakes were delicious and the sides were good as well. I give it 4* because it is a good venue with live music, indoor outdoor seating, and good food at a reasonable price. Good for the family or just friends hanging out. Overall a good value for your $.
(4)Paul T.
I use to frequent when it was Kaufmann's. Since J. Kings it really hasn't changed a great deal. Some upgrades here and there. Actually J. Kings made it look a tad better. That said, it's a nice place to go for a local like me and my family. I've never had bad food. So all in all I gave it three stars. Yes I will go back and I would at least recommend to at least stop by for your own thoughts.
(3)Eugene S.
Quality does not match the price. Slow service in the outside seating on a Thursday night. Around the table we got the spicy pasta, seafood salad, fried chicken salad, chicken wrap, and kids chicken tenders. None of these dishes were good. Various elements were either over cooked and/or under seasoned. The outdoor seating area was very nice which earned them an extra star. Sit and relax sipping overpriced drinks and eating subpar food. That's what you get here.
(2)Justin P.
Overpriced. Talent of staff does not match the price. Kitchen staff is obviously unqualified. Ordered a med/rare steak and a piece of charcoal showed up. Not much compensation from management. Just a rough overall experience.
(2)Jennifer R.
Food is ok. Would have liked it to not come out all at once. Appetizers came out with the meal, salad after. Great place for outdoor drinking. Live music was great inside. They could work on the seafood smell both in and out.
(4)Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
(1)Mo A.
J. King's is a bar/grill/tavern type of restaurant that is in the middle of nowhere. I initially thought it might in one of the shopping plazas in Gambrills but that definitely isn't true. It's actually on an isolated back road. There's two parts of the restaurant- bar/dining room area and the patio. The décor is basic cafeteria style. I hate to say this because I'm not one to casually imply prejudice exists in any situation BUT....to say my dining group (party of 2) stood out would be an understatement. I think part of the issue was that many of the clientele were older folks who may believe that the Civil War is still going on. Matter of fact, some of them may have served in the Civil War. On the other hand, our server, Jason, was AWESOME. He was really friendly, accommodating, engaging and funny. Definitely made us feel welcome. The menu was not particularly exciting and the pricing seemed to be quite inflated. Case in point- Philly Rolls and Jumbo Wings. The rolls were said to be served two per dish and are cut in half for $12-$13. What? Additionally, the wings cost $8 for 6 and $14 for 12. Wow... I ordered 12 Jumbo Wings, which I customized to have half tossed in BBQ sauce and half tossed Garlic Parmesan. The wings were definitely jumbo, especially considering that most DC area wings look like endangered species. The sauces were decent and had some balance along with a little kick but I really couldn't find much difference between the two. The wings were also a tad on the dry side. I guess I was looking for a "wow factor" that never came. Knowing that the prices were high, I took advantage of the Yelp deal, which allows you to get $20 worth of food for $10. Without that, I probably wouldn't have came because I'm not sure the value is there. All in all, I think I'd give this place 2 stars. I don't think I'd return and I'm not sure that the food quality matches the prices BUT I think my perspective might be uniquely different than others. It's hard to enjoy eating in an uncomfortable environment though. That said, our server worked his tail off and others may have a more favorable experience, especially if they take advantage of the Yelp deal.
(2)Lauren C.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)Shalitia H.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
(3)Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
(3)Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
(2)Kirsten Y.
Worst. Service. Ever. I wouldn't have minded the automatic 18% gratuity added on for the crab feast if the server would have actually earned it. She got the drink order wrong FOUR times and forgot multiple items we asked for. She took so long bringing out our crabs that we stopped at the first round. The atmosphere was decent. Crabs were good. But service is key. F.
(1)Lisa N.
I used to go to Kauffmann's a lot as a kid. It used to be THE place for huge family gatherings and we'd get crabs there in the summer at least two or three times. That waned for many years... and I went back to "J Kings" last night for the first time in at least 8 years. Sunday night had the all you can eat crabs special. They were tasty. But they took FOREVER to get. We were starving. We got our soups AFTER we got our crabs. Waitress would keep walking away before we could ask for more drinks. She had way too many customers to handle, the place was packed. We waited about 15 minutes for a booth. So glad we didn't pick the deck out back. It thunderstormed while we were there and supposedly people were eating out back with handheld umbrellas. That's just sad. It also took forever to get the check and get out of there. I think we were there 4 hours. So, maybe on a less busy night it would have better service. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of food.
(3)Wayne H.
Opened yelp up on a Sunday looking for a good brunch place nearby and came across this restaurant a couple towns over from me. It took only 20 minutes to get there from Bowie. When I approached the restaurant the feeling changed from being in Maryland to a feeling similar to a Caribbean island. The outside patio with chairs a bar and pine trees added to the ambiance. I had there prime rib which was average could have used some seasoning. My partner had the all you can eat crabs which he said was a bit salty. My niece had a Ruben which she liked and my cousin had oysters which she liked. The highlight was probably how good the wings tasted. So i will be back on Wednesday for there .50 cent wings. We did have to change seats because upstairs near the bar I smelled a mildew odor that would not go away. I would go back. Decor - 3 of 5 Service - 4 of 5 Food - 4 of 5
(4)Ian C.
All you can eat crabs are awesome. Great start to Sunday Funday. Staff is friendly and quick. Get there early. Grapefruit crushes are money here.
(4)Nat B.
I used to be a huge fan of this place. However, the service for someone who was a "regular" needs adjusting. I purchased the yelp deal that's listed and I will say I don't understand why they have it if they are going to give a hard time to use it. It doesn't list any stipulations, yet they wouldn't let me use it on Sunday's for the crab special. Ok...so I went today to try and use it on regular priced oysters and they were hassling me because it was on my yelp app rather than printed. I even overheard he manager talking about me to another customer across the room. This place has gone from one of my favorite seafood places to one I will not give my money to again. Sad because it had potential. However I'd rather spend my money somewhere it will be appreciated.
(1)Sade P.
Drove 40 mins for the all you can eat crabs only to find out that they were COMPLETELY OUT of crabs at 3:00 pm!!!
(1)V K.
I'm just not impressed. I'm not gonna give less than 3 stars because it's not horrible but it deserves no more than this. Their Tuesday $2 crab special is a great price! But other than that, their main entrees aren't that great at all. I've tried the seafood scampi twice now and maybe I should just move on from it. The first time I had it, it was alright. I had it again and it was worse than last time. I've tried some of my friends dishes as well which were better than mine but they weren't fond of it themselves. I'll definitely give this place a try again to try something new next time. Btw, service is a little slow here. Waitress was very nice but she forgot things so many times.
(3)Lakeisha L.
I took my whole family there for the mothers day brunch. I was very disappointed, there was not a huge selection of food and they kept running out. The pancakes looked like my son made them and the meat was flavorless. The best thing was the steamed shirmp. I would not be going back for brunch again.
(2)Shannon J.
Where do I begin...we bought the $20 for $10 deal on Yelp to use at this place and when we used it they told us it was $10 for $10!! What kind of sense does that make. What kind of deal is that? Then the bartender/waiter was a complete ass to my wife and her sister. It's a shame the service and attitudes of the employees is so poor. If I could give this place 0 stars I would just because of the service. No matter how good the food is no restaurant can overcome service like this.
(1)Alexia L.
I'm a crab eater so I was drawn to this place because of the crabs. Initially the restaurant was hard to find. I thought I was lost but it's way back in the cut. I felt like they are a bit pricey and expensive. I had the All You Can Eat Crabs which comes with bottomless crabs, corn on the cob and crab soup. It's very casual...there is brown paper on the tables as well as a brown paper bag on the floor to discard the shells. There is an outdoor patio which usually filled with drunk, loud white people! Sorry, just being honest...not a warm or welcoming place for African Americans to dine, which is why I stay inside.
(3)Dominique B.
This was my first visit. Went on a Tuesday night where they had $2 crabs! Can't beat that. I was with a large party so the service was mediocre. Some pole didn't get their crabs and such. The atmosphere was pretty cool, bar outside music. Drinks were horrible. Over priced and full of juice. They have a lot of themed nights so I would go back, just not for the drinks.
(3)Mo A.
J. King's is a bar/grill/tavern type of restaurant that is in the middle of nowhere. I initially thought it might in one of the shopping plazas in Gambrills but that definitely isn't true. It's actually on an isolated back road. There's two parts of the restaurant- bar/dining room area and the patio. The décor is basic cafeteria style. I hate to say this because I'm not one to casually imply prejudice exists in any situation BUT....to say my dining group (party of 2) stood out would be an understatement. I think part of the issue was that many of the clientele were older folks who may believe that the Civil War is still going on. Matter of fact, some of them may have served in the Civil War. On the other hand, our server, Jason, was AWESOME. He was really friendly, accommodating, engaging and funny. Definitely made us feel welcome. The menu was not particularly exciting and the pricing seemed to be quite inflated. Case in point- Philly Rolls and Jumbo Wings. The rolls were said to be served two per dish and are cut in half for $12-$13. What? Additionally, the wings cost $8 for 6 and $14 for 12. Wow... I ordered 12 Jumbo Wings, which I customized to have half tossed in BBQ sauce and half tossed Garlic Parmesan. The wings were definitely jumbo, especially considering that most DC area wings look like endangered species. The sauces were decent and had some balance along with a little kick but I really couldn't find much difference between the two. The wings were also a tad on the dry side. I guess I was looking for a "wow factor" that never came. Knowing that the prices were high, I took advantage of the Yelp deal, which allows you to get $20 worth of food for $10. Without that, I probably wouldn't have came because I'm not sure the value is there. All in all, I think I'd give this place 2 stars. I don't think I'd return and I'm not sure that the food quality matches the prices BUT I think my perspective might be uniquely different than others. It's hard to enjoy eating in an uncomfortable environment though. That said, our server worked his tail off and others may have a more favorable experience, especially if they take advantage of the Yelp deal.
(2)Lauren C.
TERRIBLE.. Tried this place several times because it is close to us. After tonight never again. Crabs were awful we got jumbos and monsters and they were not good noway near jumbos or monsters. We Dont mind paying good money for crabs if they are worth it.. these crabs sucked... Ordered two cream of crab soups that had no crabmeat. At least we sent them back. BARTENDERS DOING SHOTS WHILE SERVING. TO BAD BAR RESUE WASNT AROUND.
(1)Runae M.
J kings is one of our favorite places to go eat . The atmosphere, food, service, and overall experience is the best! When my family came in from out of town, that's where we took them to eat and everyone enjoyed J Kings as much as we do!
(5)Carrie R.
The service and food was commendable! The waitress was uncertain regarding gluten free items on the menu for my daughter, so we were going to leave. The manager came out and asked her what she wanted. After she told him, he left the restaurant, and bought her exactly what she wanted! I can not say enough about the manager! We will definitely be back!
(5)Chrissy G.
I see that J.Kings gets a lot of bad reviews. The reason i gave them such a high rating is because of the price and taste of the ALL YOU CAN EAT crabs. I could not believe they offer all you can eat on Sundays for 29.99 which includes Maryland Crab soup and corn on the cob. I think the price for the all you can eat is great but looking at the prices on the other items seemed high. I feel really bad for the place because they offer all you can eat brunch and we where the only people there. They must lose a lot of money on it. Anyways i was the only one who ordered the Crabs and I expected them to come out fast. I didnt want everyone to have to wait for me to eat. I guess because no one else was in the restaurant they make them to order which took about 20 mins. I dont remember ever having to wait that long at other restaurants. Anyways when they came out they where HOT and delicious. The worst part about this restaurant was the service. As we sat there a few other people came in but I was there for almost an hour before i even got a water and i had to ask about 5 times. My tray never got cleared and i had to put it on the other table next to me as more crabs came. I cant wait to go back for 2 dollar crabs on Tuesdays. That's a deal!!
(4)Greaze G.
Summer time go to spot. All you eat crabs and live music. Definitely sit outside. Haven't been here for anything else so not sure about the rest of the menu.
(4)Ric P.
Hamburgers are dynamite and the ribs were fall off the bone. We'll be back!
(4)Devin M.
I am going to bring this restaurant's rating up!!! I came here last weekend on 6/7 and my experience was an awesome one!!! We had a party of 20 and Ms. Patti, our server, was the best in the world! Extremely attentive, nice, and did her best to work with a table filled with folks who bought crabs by the dozen and also got All-you-can-eat. EVERYTHING was fresh!!! The wings were awesome and crunchy, The soup had lump crabmeat in it, the crabs were EXTREMELY fresh and seasoned!!! I'm sorry so many of you had a bad experience but mine was awesome!!! AND I am definitely going back!!!
(5)Shalitia H.
On August 15, 2014, my girlfriend, my cousin and I went to J. King's for their all you can eat crabs. When we first arrived, we asked for outside seating. An older waitress, who has waited on me (and my girlfriend on different occasions) in the past sent us outside. When we got outside, a young lady informed us that outside seating opened at 3:30 (it was 2:30 at the time). The waitress who sent us out should have known what time outside seating opened. So then the older waitress sat us at small table in the middle of the floor. Because the three of us were getting the all you can eat crabs, we requested an empty booth that allowed us more space. However, we were not given that table because another couple who arrived after we asked, allegedly requested the same booth we asked for...but we asked first. Once we finally got settled and out crabs came out we SO DISGUSTED!!! Our crabs had so much water in them, it poured out like a pitcher of water...NO EXAGGERATION!! AND THE CRAB MEAT WAS MUSHY!!!!! Instead of the older waitress just sending them back for more, the "Crab Guy" had to come out and see it for himself. The next batch of crabs were not waterlogged but they were very light in weight and you could pluck a hole in the shell! The best part of my all you eat crabs experience was the deliciously sweet corn and hushpuppies...that was it!!! The service was even poor! But since 18% gratuity is included with the all you can eat crabs, the waitress did not have to work for it! This was not my first time at J. Kings for the all you can eat crabs, but it was definitely my last!!! I really believe that the watered down, mushy crabs were leftovers from another party and the crabs were steamed again and served to us.
(1)Long N.
This place advertised the all-you-can-eat crab feast. We went there and they told us that they were out of crabs. So, I ordered something else. While eating, other people that came in after us were allowed the all-you-can-eat crab feast option. After we left, we even called the restaurant and asked if they still had the all-you-can-eat crabs left. They said "yes and come on in!" It has happen to other people. If this happens to you, please report to the States Attorney of Anne Arundel at statesattorney-annearund… . The food is what other reviewers have stated. It was mediocre at best. Would never come back here.
(1)Lisa T.
Darren is the best bartender! This was our first visit and it was a hot day. The only complaint I have is that the granite bar outside is so hot with the sun beating on it that it will burn you if you lean on it. I would suggest that JKings add more shade to the outside bar. Darren was accommodating and placed linen napkins on it so we would be more comfortable. We did not try the food but the surroundings and people were friendly and fun!
(4)Jules R.
I thought I'd give J. King's a second try last night... and my date and I left feeling overcharged and disappointed. Our server was good, but the kitchen service was very slow. We were one of two tables in the whole atrium and waited more than 20 minutes to get our food. I ordered the $22 Broiled salmon platter with a vegetable medley, and my date ordered the $26 stuffed shrimp with the same veggies. The "vegetable medley" was nothing more than corn seasoned with small chunks of onion. My salmon had very little taste to it, and was not seasoned well. It wasn't terrible, but nothing better than what I'd order at Bob Evan's or a place where I can get $10 salmon. My date's stuffed shrimp was decent, but lacked any lump crab meat. Sorry, but when I'm paying $26 for 4 stuffed shrimp, it's reasonable to expect some lump meat. We also ordered cream of crab soup, which was tasty but lacked hardly any crab meat. Both of us also found it odd that we ordered $20+ dinners and were served our drinks in plastic cups. It seems like J. King's is trying to be one part crab shack and one part classy restaurant with expensive seafood. They should really pick one, find their niche, and perfect it. This will be my last time trying J. King's, as I've now left disappointed three times. I WANT to like this place because it should be a really great local go-to spot. But every time I go, I leave disappointed over multiple things. If I want to spend $25 on stuffed shrimp and $22 on broiled salmon again, I'll go somewhere else where I know I'll get what I am paying for... like Hella's in Millersville.
(2)Joe K.
J.Kings is a changed name to what was once another failing bar / grill concept, The inside reminds me of a B&B. It's not, and looks like that or a mix of some sort of L.L. Bean catalogue. I came in during a weekday and the place had maybe 4 people minus our 16 people we had. The service was ok, the beer selection is ok, and just looks like they tried to work a restaurant concept into something resembling a bed and breakfast. The outside patio is one of the best parts of the concept. There is a lot of space to relax, and a fire pit. Probably the single best reason to come here on a summers eve, outside of that... this place is totally avoidable and passabile. I tried their old bay wings, which at .50 per wing on Monday's this was a good deal, but I wouldn't come out of my way for them. Overall 3 stars.
(3)Tracy L.
This is definitely not a good venue for large groups of people. My team meetings take place here once a month and we have been meeting here for over a year. The price of the food is ridiculous. The service is less than adequate. The manager promises over and over again that he will make sure he has enough servers for the next meeting and this is never the case. I think I will eat my dinner before I go from now on just so I am not grumpy from lack of food.
(1)Sabina B.
Outrageous prices for mediocre food. Think Applebess but way more expensive and slightly more bland. Staff acts immature.
(1)Bernadette T.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant. After carefully reading all of the reviews, I was very skeptical about visiting, but I'm the kind of person, who has to always form my own opinion... And GLAD I did. Where do I start... First of all the restaurant was not back up in the cut as one reviewer stated. Easy to find. 2nd the service was GREAT!!! at least mine was. The moment we sat down, less than 5 mins our order had been taken and we had drinks and soup on the table. I'm a seafood lover!!! So I ordered the ALL-you-can-eat crabs and they were very tasty... Not watery and fishy as mentioned again in the reviews. Assortment of sizes small, med and large. And I read where one reviewer stated it was pricey... SO NOT TRUE. Unsure where they buy seafood. But I pay J.Kings price (30.00) just for one dozen. The atmosphere was really nice. And no it's NOT a white table cloth type of place, if that's what your seeking as mentioned again. But you get a bang for your buck here!! Will defiantly be returning!!! And J.King in my book you are a keeper!!! Thumbs up
(4)Nick Brody I.
Disappointing. The place was half empty, yet it took 10 minutes to be seated because there was no hostess. Sat outside on some cheap dirty rather pathetic plastic chairs which looked about 2 summers too old. Got the AYCE/all you can eat crabs for $30. Every single crab was light and water logged. Those idiots shouldn't be selling these garbage "whitey" crabs at any price. Would of felt ripped off if AYCE was $10. Not sure what jokers they get their crabs from but these should have all been thrown back in the water and given a chance to fatten up. Greedy restaurant willing to rip off paying customers while hurting the Chesapeake's crab population.
(1)Joseph J.
Went on a Wed. evening. They had a 3 piece acoustic band that was very good. We ordered Buffalo chicken potato skins. & chicken quesadilla apps. Both very good but pricey. Our waitress was slow & inattentive. She would come by our table (12 or so guests) & take someone's drink order but no one else's. WTH? In the end it was just an OK experience. My advice would be for management to lower your prices & train your staff. At least keep an eye on your patrons. Not impressed.
(2)Rosemary K.
Too expensive and good was so so for the price. Had an orange crush which seemed never to have met an orange!
(2)Kevin B.
9/26 - 7pm. We were greeted quickly and sat as requested outdoors and our waiter came right away. The ambiance was "okay". Each table had a candle but they were not lit. The lighting is harsh from a big overhead streetlight. 2 outdoor TV's near us were broke. It was officially fall this day and a little chilly. We saw one heat lamp but over by the bar. After our drinks came (it was a reasonable time) she took only our appetizer order even though we were very ready to order our main course, too. The appetizers were great - 2 cream of crabs soup and a garden salad. Next she took our menus and put them aside BEFORE we ordered. Very odd. Luckily we remembered what we're ordering. (People usually go ummm - what did I want and reference the menu, right?) The meals came in a timely manner with extra napkins. My Eastern shore 1/2 chicken was tasty and fresh along with the fries and extra SMALL cole slaw. But -- $22?? Talk about profit. Meal #2 - Salmon with rice and fries. Rice was ordered but missed. The salmon was okay. #3 meal - fish and chips. Again the fish was just okay but the chips were hardly edible. The bars were busy and that seemed the place to be. Also your front outdoor landscape lights are still broken and the front entrance needs an overhaul. Overall a poor J. Kings experience.
(3)Miss P.
I love this place when I feel like getting away but not too far from home. Went for the second time yesterday. Had the all you can eat crabs. Food and service seems to remain consistent. The waiters/waitresses have a good attitude and are very accommodating. The crabs are always good and well seasoned. This may have to be my "go to" spot whenever I'm in the mood for crabs, which is quite often.
(4)Melody C.
Our family made "reservations" for the Easter buffet at the 11:00 seating. We were seated timely and placed our drink order. My mom received her coffee in a styrofoam cup and my dad and I received our bloody mary's with a LARGE amount of old bay. I'm all for a spicy bloody mary, but it was hard to drink without coughing. The buffet was beyond disappointing. I couldn't even think of another adjective to describe the pitiful buffet. I heard "Sorry, we're out of..." basically everything the entire time. My mom asked for an actual cup/mug for her second cup of coffee, but they were out cups and she was brought coffee in a beer glass. I was waiting for it to shatter! Runny eggs, bacon scraps, undercooked potatoes, are just a sample of the buffet. I completely understand holiday dining and that restaurants are busy, but this was, again, disappointing. The worst part was waiting for the bill...$140 plus gratuity for 4 adults. Save your money and taste buds. I know that I'll never return.
(1)Jamie C.
Let's start by saying Amy the server was really sweet and attentive. We ordered a round of orange crushes as recommended by our server as being amazingly refreshing. We got them and they were just tired old screwdrivers. We told Amy and she took them back and the bartender admitted that he didn't squeeze the oranges. She brought the right drinks back and they were delicious. My sister ordered the New York strip and we confirmed medium. It was brought out and it was well done. When we showed Amy she agreed it was over done for a medium steak. It was sent back to the kitchen. The manager then came to our table and told us that the steak that was sent back looked "pretty pink." So he is basically saying we were lying. Terrible customer service on behalf of the management. He should have said " sorry the steak wasn't to your satisfaction we are making a new one." Manager is rude! We won't be returning.
(2)Smart G.
Came for the traditional Thanksgiving buffet. White meat good, dark meat bad; roast beef tough, didnt' try the ham. Mashed potatoes cold, mac and cheese tasty but rich, desserts obviously frozen and thawed. Overall disappointing for a holiday meal. I would give three stars but the restroom situation was disgusting. Have to descend a stairway and halfway down it starts to smell like a Tijuana brothel! The black porcelain fixtures apparently hide the need for any regular cleaning. NOT planning to return unless someone takes me there. Oh, I noticed on the web they claim to one of Baltimore's best restaurants....doesn't say much for Balto!
(2)Mike P.
The patio area was nice crabs was hot & meaty for the monsters price is reasonable for the larger crabs service was a lil slow but the bartender Phil was funny & kept things in perspective I'm going back laid back place tired of seeing the same old people!!
(4)Amir P.
Ordered a MEDIUM done T-bone and got a WELL DONE. Sent it back and got a WELL DONE BURNED. They took my steak and burned it and brought it back to me. Also Dirty bathroom and super bright lights.
(1)Mary K.
Went for thanksgiving dinner, last year's buffet was good except for the cramped quarters upstairs, so we thought we'd try again. Sat in atrium downstairs and had much more room, our server was very attentive and that was the best part of the meal. They had 3 seatings for the day, perhaps they used the food that was left from the first seating, but the meats were dry and tasteless, including the burnt pumpkin pie being served with the other non-descript dessert offerings! Not much variety of side dishes...just the usual thanksgiving fare. All this for $28 per person, and an $8 glass of wine. Ithink we'll go to golden corral next time and at least have more variety, more taste and a much better value. Maybe I'll just cook...
(2)Jennifer M.
The plush outdoor couches! The big screen TV's. The swanky outdoor seating that has a hint of the tropics to it! These are all things to entice you to enter the establishment, but BEWARE - it's all a facade - and pretty much the only way they can get anyone to their bar is through this illusion. Having been to this place while it was still Kaufmann's, I was skeptical, yet optimistic. I wanted to believe it would be good - it wasn't. When my boyfriend called to ask if they had crabs, not only was the staff rude to him on the phone but they kept him on hold for what felt like two minutes while they checked on the crab status. Not cool. They had crabs, but do yourself and DO NOT order them!!! They were mediums and of the 12 we ordered, ONE was good. They tasted fishy, were full of water and had little to no meat. They were just plain awful. In fact, we were still hungry after splitting a dozen, that we ordered a side of as dozen wings. And when the wings came out, there were only 10! So, they had to make us two more wings to add to our order. The wings were okay, but I much prefer the ones from the Greene Turtle. While we did get an apology for the mess up from the manager, our waitress was slow, not friendly and didn't seem to care if our food or anything else was to our liking. The "inside" outdoor bar area is dingy and dark and while the outside may look nice at first, it's really a sham. Do yourself a favor and skip this place. They should add an O in between J and Kings for JOKINGS. Seriously.
(1)Meagan L.
I had high hopes for this place. We saw an advertisement in the Crofton paper and we were excited to try something new. What a mistake! It went so badly I felt the need to apologize to my husband that night over and over again since it was my idea to go. Just getting in was confusing. The first entrance we went to was unattended. Not sure if we were in the right place so we tried another door. When we were finally seated I just felt really confused and turned off by the atmosphere. It was like this place was having an identity crisis. The prices on the menu screamed nice place but the patrons screaming across the restaurant said something else. Getting to the food. One word says it all...yuck! I ordered a fillet cooked rare. As soon as it came to the table I knew I was in trouble. The color and the texture were just wrong. It was gray and dry with absolutely zero taste. I could only stomach two bites. The vegetables and potatoes were just boring. I could have done it better in my own kitchen. My husband was equally unimpressed with his super thick soup and unimpressive shrimp quesadillas. Also if you order soda I hope you like it warm and flat. Sodas were served from pitchers that were left sitting out on a table near the bar. I wouldn't even give this place a second chance. They failed miserably!
(1)Rick W.
I should have read the reviews before going because they were dead-on. The service was slow. Way too slow for the amount of customers in the place. It took 10 minutes before the waiter came to my table. It took another 10 minutes before my beer arrived. Then, 15 minutes after that my appetizer arrived (that's 35 minutes to get an appetizer if you're not counting). My cup was empty for 10 minutes before the waiter came back. And the waiter blamed it all on the kitchen and bar staff. My wife's crab cakes were about the size of a handball and they were $25. They tasted OK but they were way overpriced. And if that doesn't make you want to eat there, maybe the chance of getting your car towed if you park in the wrong lot will excite you. I will say the private lot next door is clearly marked with warnings, but, most people (like me) saw people walking to the restaurant from this lot and ignored the signs. I know it's not the restaurant's responsibility, but, it would help if the outside hostess (who watched me walk from this lot) would point out the signs just in case you missed them. The patio has the potential to be a pretty cool happy hour experience. There's a band and it looks like it would be a nice place to hang out with your friends. I hope they pay attention to their customers comments.
(2)Chris C.
After waiting 15 minutes to be served, we asked the server what was good and she said: " I don't eat here, so I can't tell you ". My party and myself left.
(1)S. C.
My husband and I love this place... Great Customer Service!! Good Food and Drinks... Live Music!! What more can you ask for? :-)
(5)Lori P.
I recently stopped in for dinner on a Tuesday evening -- only four patrons in the bar and at two tables in the restaurant. I sat at the bar and ordered the fish tacos, which were already overpriced for fish tacos and paid the up charge for the shrimp. It took nearly 20 minutes for the food to arrive, with the explanation of "the kitchen is slow tonight." With so few patrons in the restaurant, why was the kitchen so slow? The tacos had so much spicy mayo on them you couldn't taste anything else and the shrimp were sliced vertically to make less seem like more -- this after paying an up charge! The french fries were so salty you couldn't eat them. At least the bartender had enough sense to see how unhappy I was and had the manager reduce my bill but it wasn't enough to make me ever want to set foot in this restaurant again.
(1)Janelle E.
A few of us hit up J. Kings for a happy hour, which turned into many happy (and gradually happier!) hourS! It was such a beautiful day, so we sat out on the huge patio. It wasn't too bad early in the evening but filled up as the night went on. There was a band playing, and unfortunately it was so close and so loud that it pretty much killed the table conversation. One of the staff on the patio was nice enough to move a big ole heater over by our table to keep us ladies warm, which we really appreciated! The wine selection was fairly small - there was only one Cab to choose from - but we didn't balk. The appetizer list was also a little selective, and the ones we chose were fairly small but slightly pricey. We had several orders of the Old Bay wings, a crab dip, some shrimp egg rolls, and buffalo shrimp. All were delicious, but I may have to make another impromptu trip just for the buffalo shrimp and egg rolls - they were AWESOME! My biggest turnoff was that the service was a bit slow even when the crowd wasn't that big and only got worse as the patio got busier. Hopefully it was just an off night and not a regular problem. Can't wait to give J Kings another shot and maybe get a full dinner.
(4)Melody C.
I joined my family here on the Saturday before Mother's Day to celebrate. We had a table reserved in the upstairs back room. It was more of a fine dining room. I never knew the place was so big. I think upon sitting we all agreed we should've just sat outside at the patio area, but oh well. Our waitress was nice and we all got drinks and appetizers. The appetizers were probably the best part of the meal, at least for me. The tuna/spinach one was DELICIOUS. The tuna was seared and seasoned just right. My cousin got buffalo wings which I sampled, and they were tasty. The calamari was also pretty good. I ordered for my entree the 2 crab cake imperials. Unfortunately, a mistake. The crab cakes were gross, bland and too bready (Further proved by a visit to Big Fish in Crofton the next day and ordering another crab cake). The Spanish rice (which came presented in a dome shaped way, kinda strange) wasn't good. The asparagus was decent, but nothing special. I didn't get everyones meal opinions but my family seemed generally content. Nobody complained but I didn't think they would. Overall, the food is ok.. but a bit overpriced for just "OK". I would go back to sit out on the patio and enjoy some appetizers/drinks/live music, but definitely skip it for a nice meal.
(2)D P.
Outdoor section features a bar of its own, heaters in case of a chilly night, corn hole, and decent live music on some nights. The food quality does not justify the prices charged, most if it was greasy or bland.
(2)Mike R.
As with most places that sell crabs, the prices for the other is high to offset the money they lose selling crabs. For two cups of soup, spicy chicken potato skins, 4 12 ounce Coors Light drafts and two orange crushes came to $64.10! Coors Light is $4.25 for DRAFT. If you are someone who drinks mass quantities and on a budget, this is not the place for you. Service was good and my pals had crabs and enjoyed them.
(2)Monica B.
My first experience was a good one bUT when my friend and I went last Sunday for the ALL U CAN EAT CRAB SPECIAL, there were issues... We were warmly greeted & seated @400, the all u can eat starts @ 3. Our drink orders were taken and then there was a lull in the service. Later, someone came to our table after 15 mins and a beckon from us. We informed the server that we wanted the special... this is were the time comes into play.... the server says that they have no more crabs for that special but he rattled off what he had and cost...HOW DO U RUN OUT OF CRABS AND The PLACE wasn't even packed?!? very upset, by the "bait and switch", we left and could not get back the time we spent for someone to have the courage to come and tell us what the deal was... this should have been communicated prior to being seated... #wasteoftime
(1)Kevin L.
Plus: Very good Greek salad, good steamed shrimp. Minus: slow service, expensive, limited drink selection. Oh, and there were five dead insects in my glass of scotch. Ordinarily that would knock the place down to one star, but the Greek salad really was quite good (and bug-free, at least to the naked eye).
(2)Dorothy M.
OMGoodness, what a terrible way to spend a evening. Sat outside on the patio which was nice except for the overly loud music that was so loud we had to scream to be heard. The attentive wait person noticed, took pity on us and offered to move us away from the speaker that was playing three feet away. No idea why it is necessary to blare when the patio and crowd is so small. Moved to second table where we were no longer subjected to loud music and cigarette smoke only to be surrounded in cigar smoke! I almost got up and threw up on the man with the cigar. Came home and immediately showered and washed my clothes -- I am so allergic that my skin is still burning. Isn't it against smoking regulations to allow smoking cigars indoors and outdoors? The food that we actually got was good -- the calamari we ordered didn't come because they only had one order left and it was bad. Nobody bothered to tell the wait person -- they just delivered the crab dip we ordered and announced the calarmari wasn't coming.
(1)odenton i.
We've known this place for years and used to go pretty frequently. We stopped in last night on a whim for dinner and a couple of beers, but cashed out after one beer and left. The only thing different about this place that used to be Kaufmans is that it is now called J Kings. There's actually still a few Kaufmans signs here and there. The same problems that plagued Kaufmans are still present at J Kings. The staff is indifferent. They're stand-offish to the point that it borders on rude. Service is slow, even when the staff outnumbers the patrons. The menu is limited, unimaginative and over priced. And fried. Very fried. The beer selection is just terrible. There's one no-name IPA and bunch of low to medium end stuff that ought to be served in buckets. Don't bother with the wine selection, its an afterthought and exceptionally bad. The building is in terrible shape. The inside bar is gloomy and dirty. The outside bar is little more than a bunch of cheap resin patio furniture. There's no shade whatsoever and you will roast in the late spring and throughout summer. The owner really needs to decide whether this place will be medium to upscale (which the prices reflect) or a reliable dive bar (which it manifestly is). Right now its an overpriced, poorly run dive bar. I really wish this place could pull out of the spiral it has been in for a few years. It's extremely close to our neighborhood and we would be regulars if it weren't such a depressing experience to go there. There is a definite market for a neighborhood pub in the area, and this place is squandering it. Unless a lot of things change we'll keep driving several miles farther to go to Lures.
(2)Harold B.
I think this restaurant is very overpriced when it comes to the quality of food. Cream of crab soup was highly recommended by the waitress but I have to say it did not impress me, little tasteless and just was lacking something. Chicken wrap was tasteless and chicken very dry. Wrap was served with Greek salad swimming in dressing. Service was fast and friendly but unfortunately the food is not going to get me back.
(2)Tim Z.
My wife and I went here to pick crabs. The crabs were heavy, full, and well seasoned. It was a nice evening so we sat outside, the patio is ver nice. They could use different tables that don't bounce when hammering crab claws. The service was friendly. We will be going back.
(4)Karl N.
This was my second time there. Both were great. Good food, good service, good drinks. I really like the patio area.
(4)John D.
Believe the reviews. Don't eat here, it is a rip-off and the owner is full of it.
(1)Edward M.
My wife and I had a lovely dinner at the bar. Flat iron steak was excellent.
(4)Vidal D.
We went during the Broncos vs. Ravens playoff game, it was fairly busy. This was our first time at J. Kings, after reading the reviews I was not expecting much. I had received a dinner card thing you redeem online and J Kings was close to where we were doing business in the area. We ordered the wings, crab cakes and fish. The wings came out quickly, correctly and super hot, so hot we had to wait to eat them. They were huge, meaty and very good, we ordered them old bay style (light on the old bay). The crab cakes, did not look huge, but they were meaty and filling. The fish dinner had three reasonably sized pieces, fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chips that came with them were not very good though. The service was excellent. The waitress never let our glasses get empty and the table was bused as soon as we had finished something. The place has a bar area in the front with some dining seats and then a large atrium area in the back that appears to open up during warmer weather. The menu advertised live music and comedy as well as a breakfast buffet. Seems like a local spot that has its share of regulars. 5 stars because as yelp says, as good as it gets, especially in Maryland, too many places with poor service and worse food. Maybe a little on the pricey side, if we didn't have a gift card I do not think this meal for two was worth almost $70 without tip. We will be back for more wings, service and entertainment.
(5)Robert M.
We normally give a restaurant two tries before reviewing. And J. Kings was no different. Had we rated after our first stop. It would have been two stars. But we came again and it was delicious. Crabs were excellent, the MD crab soup is very, very good and the best part was our server MELISSA was fantastic. Attentive and informative, suggestions were on point. We'd come back just for MELISSA. She was great. Thank you MELISSA!!! YOU made our dinner great. And the food wasn't bad either!
(5)Amy B.
A friend and I went to J King's last night since we were in the mood for crabs. First we stood next to the hostess stand for several minutes trying to figure out if there was actually a hostess or if we were supposed to seat ourselves. Then we moved slightly inside the door to try to figure this out where a bunch of wait staff zoomed by us with zero eye contact. Finally we asked one of the busboys who went to find the hostess, who utterly failed at you know, hostessing, by looking straight through us and like then finally responded and was like, oh you want a table? As if we just like to hang out in restaurant doorways. She scanned the restaurant, and was like, we're kinda full down here so you can go look upstairs if you want. So up the stairs we went where the was another hostess. Though this one was at least working. There was one server for the whole upstairs (compared to at least 5 downstairs) so it was slow and we kept having to flag her down. Seriously, we're eating crabs - isn't it logical that we might need more drinks? The crabs and fries themselves were tasty, but I'll head somewhere else next time.
(2)