4. Restaurants

May’s Restaurant

5640 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD, 21704
  • (301) 662-4233
  • Store is closed

May’s Restaurant Menu

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  • Alissa A.

    While passing through we were enticed by the cool outdoor beerhall vibes but the food was EXTREMELY disappointing. The fried scallops and hush puppies were tiny, dry, terrible, and looked pathetic on too-large plates. Way overpriced and the worst I've ever had by far. Our friend's fried oyster po' boy was mediocre and gave him a stomach ache. It seems they're known for their crabs but they have a lot of work to do on everything else. Wish we went to the craft beer place next door instead.

    (2)

  • James S.

    Excellent food and I loved the all you can eat crabs! My only two complaints are the lack of bathrooms and the super high salt content in their crab seasoning. Otherwise they were fantastic!!!

    (4)

  • alex w.

    We called for a reservation a couple of weeks ago for dinner and was informed that there are numerous available seats and no reservation was needed. When my family and I arrived (no more than 25 minutes later), the restaurant was packed to the point where there were no parking spaces available and it was an hour wait to be seated. We did not stay for dinner and needless to say, we are still upset and disappointed. We feel very misled about the whole situation.

    (1)

  • Chelsea S.

    If you're looking for fresh crab legs in Maryland, look no further than Mays. We ordered the seafood feast for 2 (which could probably feed my whole family). We threw in 4 blue crabs for just 10 dollars more. The quality, volume, and variety of seafood was exceptional and the outdoor patio seating provided great atmosphere. I'd give Mays a perfect 5 stars if the restrooms didn't freak me out so much...they're RIGHT next to the dish washing room...kinda gross

    (4)

  • Kate Z.

    I enjoy this place for the experience more than anything. I would say it's a bit of a whole in the wall type place. The service isn't anything special and the place isn't fancy of anything. With all this said, it's a fun family kinda atmosphere and it's fun to get messy and eat some crabs here! Monday through Friday you can do all you can eat crabs or crab legs for 27$ which I think is a good deal. I'm glad Frederick has a place like this. I would recommend it. As far as picking up seafood to go.. I would prefer picking up from trouts seafood in new market, it's much better quality but you can't dine in there.

    (4)

  • Casey K.

    Will first give you my review of logistics in getting in and seated and the utter preposterous things you have to go through to even make into this poorly thought out restaurant. It is literally right off of a busy road and good luck to you if you don't find a space on a busy night after one spin around the parking lot. How does a restaurant expand by making a huge outdoor pavilion and not expand the parking lot to accommodate more vehicles?!? Boggles my mind! I was an unfortunate one that did not luck into a space on my first go around and had to pull some ridiculous maneuvering to be able to do another lap. I ended up having to wait idle for 15 minutes for someone to leave...come on May's, get it together. The cramped parking lot carries in the door where chair backs of patrons are pushing into each other and you spend most of your time dodging fast moving waiters or turned to the side and squeezing through the cramped dining room. We each were ordered the #1 on all you can eat menu which included crabs, french fries, Maryland crab soup, cole slaw, and hush puppies. It was a little strange when we ordered because our waiter asked us what sides we wanted, huh? Um, we'd like all the sides that come with what we ordered please. Our waiter redeemed himself when he brought out the sides as a sort of appetizer to our crabs. The Maryland Crab soup and the cole slaw were great, but of the two, the cole slaw was by far my fav. The Maryland crab soup had nice chunks of crab in it and the broth touched on the old bay flavoring well. The cole slaw tasted home made and wasn't saturated in the mayo like I can't stand with other versions. The cabbage was crisp and the taste was perfect. I just wish they brought it to you in something bigger than a fixins' cup, not really sure why they are so chintzy! The french fries were completely and totally average, decided not to waste my stomach room or calories on them. I did try my brothers sweet potato fries which were phenomenal, so crispy and delicious...highly recommend. The hushpuppies were another one of those sides they are very stingy with, they gave us three in total for two people, why?!? The crabs were a little small, we were wondering how some of them were even legal to have kept, but they were amazing. I skipped the butter this go around and just used vinegar to dip my crab meat in, it was so delicious. I will be back because the crabs are fabulous. I just wish May's would change their cheap ways of handling things. It seems like a huge waste of time for me to have to keep sending your waiter to the kitchen for more cole slaw because you serve a two bite portion of cole slaw. The hushpuppies? Maybe you could spare to dish out like six at a time instead of a measly and ridiculous three for a supposed feast menu item. Good luck to you if you wait to use the bathroom when you really have to go because in addition to expanding the outdoor pavilion with no parking, they have just one women's room and men's room and the line is insane. Overall, prepare to be annoyed most of the time here, but at least the food is good.

    (3)

  • Deirdre P.

    We love May's. Always eat here when we can! We even order our bushels for him event from here!!

    (4)

  • Tee P.

    I have been wanting seafood all week! A classmate of mine told me about Mays last time I was in Frederick. So tonight I finally made it there. When I passed it, I said to myself wooh, that's it? I mean it's kind of old, but I have ate at older places and the food was good. But I decided not to judge off of looks. The waitress was friendly so we ordered. It wasn't that crowded when we got there. I ordered a seafood sampler and cream of crab soup. My friend ordered a half pound shrimp salad and fries. The food took so long to come out. The waitress did come by twice and say the food was coming. It just seemed like it to took so long for those small things. My soup was a little runny the taste was ok. Some of my steamed shrimp were mushy at the vein. The best thing on my plate was the fried shrimp. I was was let down by the long wait and food. I will not be going back. P.S. I would never pay $48 for all you can eat anything unless it had an open bar and dj!

    (1)

  • Melanie Y.

    My friend knows me well when she suggested going here for some all-you-can-eat-crabs. As soon as I heard AYCE and crabs in the same sentence, I said yes way before she finished her sentence. And when you live in MD, you definitely need to go to one at least once for the summer. So we decided to try it out during 4th of July weekend. The place was easy to find, however, parking really stunk! We went there on a Sunday night and there were a few parking spaces in front of the restaurant which was also right near the edge of the road--a little dangerous. Then you can drive towards the back for the rest and when I say rest, I would estimate about 10 spaces there. My recommendation if you want to try out this restaurant is to go during low-peak times. Anyways, when we actually found parking after 10 mins of driving around, we walked to the front hostess and gave her our reservation. We reserved an outside seating, so she told us to go towards the back where another hostess would seat us. Definitely call in for a reservation if you don't want to wait long for a seat. There were about 4 AYCE options with the last one having blue crabs. We chose the first one for $35 to have unlimited crabs, cole slaws fries and hush puppies. Since I'm not a huge fan of hush puppies or cole slaws, I mainly had the crabs coming and snacked on some fries as we waited. I also ordered half dozen raw oysters and was more than satisfied. The crabs came steaming hot and seasoned just right and whatever you don't finish, they take away. The service was great and overall atmosphere was what I had expected. It's one of those places where you know everyone knows your name who lives in the town. =P I would definitely come back here again for sure and highly recommend the place if you are a seafood lover like me.

    (4)

  • Becca R.

    Do not get the shrimp. If your into mushy and tasteless shrimp that leaves you feeling sick, then this place is perfect for you.

    (1)

  • Virginia W.

    This is a late review as I ate here toward the end of July, but here it is. I should have known better to go to a place famous for crabs, unless that place would be Alaska. May's is a very popular seafood restaurant that the locals seem to love. In fact, my girlfriends and I were referred here by a person at the Visitor's Center in Frederick. Obviously, by the size of the crowded and noisy restaurant (and the waiting line) it is loved. The boiled Maryland crabs were what most people were eating and I wanted to taste what the locals love. It was an all-you-can-eat night for the crabs, which were served with coleslaw and hushpuppies. I got my large tray of crabs and another person at our picnic table showed me how to eat them. OK, the crab was good but there was so little in each crab and it was SO HARD and MESSY to get to that little bit. I finished off my one tray (probably about 6 oz of crab meat total) and was way too tired to attack another platter of them. And, although the other diner sitting next to me told me she thought it was $30, my total bill was $50 (I also ordered tea). I think she misinformed me because that's truly what she thought. My two friends ordered the crab cakes and got way more crab than I did for about $20. But, they did not have the "local experience" like I did. I will stick to King Crab or snow crab. It's not near as much work, and a ton more crab.

    (3)

  • Marivic L.

    I really like May's! I got the recommend from my 2 fellow Marylanders at work - and I thanked them for it. May's is definitely a local favorite, which was obvious because it was packed on a Sunday, almost as soon as it opened. Note: If you're gonna head out on a weekend, a reservation is probably wise - especially on a hot day. When we went, it was superhot and, since we didn't have a reservation, we had to sit in the back patio. Thankfully, there were ceiling fans, but the weekend was a bit too hot for that. On a less humid day, it would've been fine. That said, I would gladly deal with the heat and humidity again as long as the crabs were as good as the ones we had on our first visit. May's has great all you can eat deals. I don't know the last time I got all you can eat crabs (maybe high school?) but I decided to go with that deal this time. The AYCE deal we got was complete with crab soup, fries, hush puppies, and corn. I tried a hush puppy and it was good. I didn't try any other side because I'm all about the steamed crabs. The AYCE ones we got were way bigger than I expected. They were cooked perfectly and were meaty and tasty. I could have kept eating for MUCH longer, but the hubs is a crab lightweight sometimes. Not to be rude, I stopped much earlier than I would have otherwise. Oh, I'll be back to May's. I'm gonna have to be up in the area til Friday and actually plan on going back tomorrow - to avoid traffic and, well, to get back to those oh-so-good crabs!!

    (4)

  • Casey J.

    I have been eating here for several years now, fantastic place to go pick crabs, May's has the the best crabs and seafood dishes around along with indoor and covered outdoor seating. What more can I say, if you like seafood......you'll love May's

    (5)

  • Marceal M.

    So I was trying to find a all you can eat crab place close to home I'm from PA so crabs are not a featured thing. I found May's online then yelped it. After seeing the reviews I chose to try it. First I must say the tetris style parking is bad. You will be lucky to find a spot. Most cars was double parked someone was blocked in, it's madness. Do yourself a favor and go down the street to party town parking lot it's a short walk. The parking is why I gave it a 4 star. Now to the good. The crabs was very good. Fresh out the steamer hot and juicy. We had the number on AYCE crab. Came with other stuff but we only had corn and fries wanted all the room for the crabs. I mean hey that's why we drove 2hrs. Our server Shane was great even with the place being packed he was there every time we needed him. Drinks stayed full crab tray stayed full. Was excellent service. To conclude it was well worth the drive. Important make a reservation it will help the place get packed after 6pm.

    (4)

  • Alyson W.

    May's is our go-to crab place in the summer! It's not on the water, but their back patio has plenty of seating and has a roof above it, so you aren't sweating while you're eating, but it's still nice to eat crabs outside in the summer. We chose not to get the AYCE crabs and opted for 2 dozen large crabs instead. They were huge with tons of crab meat! We also got fries, hush puppies, fried clams, and corn. All delicious. Of course we went through a couple of pitchers of beer as well, can't eat crabs without it! It's a lot of fun to eat crabs at the beach, but when we aren't there, we love going to May's. Always a good time :)

    (4)

  • Lisa L.

    We came here last Fri night. Parking is horrendous here as most people have stated so try to come during off-peak hrs. I contemplated parking at the Lowe's shopping plaza but didn't want to risk getting towed. It took forever to get a parking space. We had made a reservation for 7 pm but they had it down for 6:30 pm so we "missed" it & had to wait...she also got my phone # wrong. After about 45 mins, we luckily got a table inside with A/C since it was humid outside. We ordered the AUCE #1..the portions for soup, cole slaw, hush puppies and fries are tiny...you can always ask for more but that's wasting a lot of paper trays and plastic cups. The cole slaw was watery & flavorless but the hush puppies and fries were good. Soup was okay...needs more crab in there. The crabs came out piping hot and didn't have a crazy amount of Old Bay on them which is good. I guess it's not crab season because there's not that much meat in them...and I'm a slow crab eater. Totally not worth it for me to eat AUCE crabs here. Service was attentive even though the place was packed. Free refills for sodas. Lots of annoying flies around. I'd come back and order an entree next time instead of AUCE

    (2)

  • Phil C.

    A very cold wintry day and I was craving some cream of crab soup. And I found the best I've ever had. The cup of soup had more crab than most crabcakes. We also ordered the jumbo spiced shrimp. Perfection dude...perfection. These were huge and perfectly steamed. There is no way you can use the word "shrimp" to describe these. My friend also had lobster tail and although it was not on the lunch menu, our waitress took good care of us. It was on point... And needless to say she would not let me try any... This restaurant is so eastern shore... The atmosphere the food the people, brings back good memories. Rock 'n roll

    (4)

  • M. K.

    I like holes-in-the-wall...they are usually the places that end up surprising you with their unique specialties, fun staff, or extra good specials. When I walked up to May's, I immediately thought I'd come to love it, as they have an outdoor seating area that looks like the perfect spot to snag some crabs and grab a few beers. Once I walked into the actual indoor section of the restaurant though, I felt my heart sink a little. The main dining area was dark and dreary, the staff hung around the entryway looking bored, and the entire place just appeared grubby. I don't expect a crab pickin' place to roll out the red carpet but this place just felt...I don't know...kind of depressing to me. Luckily I didn't have to use the bathroom here. I'm almost scared to ask what those look like. I started off with a water, which had a strange green flake floating in it. I tried to ignore it and give the place another chance...lukewarm atmosphere and strange-looking herb in water? Okay, I can overlook these things for some decent grub. I ended up bypassing the crabs for a breaded sandwich called the Clucker. A chicken breast on a bun is pretty much a staple at many restaurants, so I thought I was safe, but this may have been the worst chicken sandwich I've ever eaten. To be fair, a friend got a grilled chicken breast sandwich, which looked normal and actually pretty good when bitten into, but mine looked like the grey, processed stuff that you see inside of a McNugget. Straight sludge. No taste and strange consistency, not to mention nasty to look at. The bagged Tysons nuggets in your grocer's freezer are more appetizing. To be fair, the others in my party were fine with their meals, and I didn't go with the one thing they're famous for but I cannot see myself trekking all the way back to this place just to try a crabcake.

    (2)

  • Nancy N.

    First review: summer 2010 I love crabs and this AYCE place is close to me and reasonably priced so what is there not to love?! (French fries and hush puppies aren't that great) Tented outdoor seating with fans and screens. Beer, loads of crabs, busy environment and great company. This is exactly how summer should be in MD.

    (5)

  • Philipp P.

    They do not like children. Do not go there with kids!

    (1)

  • Helen W.

    I found this through yelp in the morning. We were in town for a wedding. We ordered some crabs, soft shell crabs, sweet potato fries, corn, and pink lemonade. The crabs weren't that big. I'm not sure if it wasn't the right season to eat crabs.

    (3)

  • Nicole G.

    What a better place to visit every time I come back to where I grew up. U have ur all u can eat crabs and your yuengling beer! I was a mess by the end of my meal but the good was awesome and service was great. Wish they didn't run out of corn on the cob, but it didn't spoil are fun!

    (5)

  • Ryan B.

    If you live in Maryland then it's pretty much obligatory that you be feastin' on some Blue Crabs. I live in southern Murrland and hadn't heard of this place until recently. Well, let me tell you sumthin'....this place is the shiznit! From the outside it looks like somebody decided to turn their house into a restaurant. It's not much to look at. Then you walk inside and can see that in fact someone turned their house into a restaurant. It looks small, tight and busy. Whoa, I was gonna make a lude reference about asian women, but I'll refrain. Anyway, you have the option of sitting outside. This is probably the best way to go. Out back they have a huge patio area with picnic tables. There is an awning covering the whole area and they have gigantic fans blowing accross to keep you cool in the summer heat. You have more room to stretch out and not worry about knocking into someone. NOTE: when the sun is on the horizon and it's blazing hot, sitting in the middle of the patio is no bueno. Stay close the the fences in the shade. It's best to make a reservation. The service is very good. They make sure you have what you need and are constantly checking on you. The Crabs. HUGE. Steamed just right. And all you can eat for $22 (weeknights) and $32 on weekends. What else can you say about that? They have the usual side dishes like fries and coldslaw and other items on the menu, but the Blue Crabs are the star of the show here.

    (4)

  • Kim S.

    I was in Frederick on business and had heard that I should try Mays. Just about everyone told me that they were delicious. So, finally on my last night I decided to stop in before heading out of town the next day. I was told that I NEED to try some crab cakes before heading back home because after all... Maryland is known for their crab cakes. I'm not a huge fan of blue crabs... but I thought, what the heck... when in Rome. When I arrived at Mays, the place WAS crowded. The special was all you can eat crab. I was dinning alone and thought that sitting there picking crabs was most likely more of a social event, so I decided to just order off the menu. They had a fairly good sized menu, with lots of good sounding options. As I was looking over my menu when my server arrived and asked me if I would like something to drink. I ordered a coke, asked about the appetizers, and went a head and ordered some fried oysters. I am not a HUGE fan of fried oysters, I prefer them raw... but it wasn't oyster season, so better safe than sorry. After looking over the menu I decided to go with the seafood platter FRIED instead of broiled. I know... I know... FRIED? Well... I am after all a Texas girl... and we fry EVERYTHING. And I like my fish fried more than any other way. The meal came with a two side... one side can be used as a salad. I ordered a salad and fries. They do have a salad bar in the restaurant, and that is where the server makes your salad. The salad wasn't anything to write home about... it wasn't bad... but it wasn't OMG great either. Just your average salad. My oysters arrived and didn't look very good at all. Another side note... being from Texas I am used to corn meal breading. It was more like a flour breading... kind of thick. And I know, I wasn't in Texas... this was Maryland and they do things different than we do. SO, I kept that in mind when I tasted the oysters. They were pretty much like the salad, not bad but not OMG great either. So, I ate a few of them. I do have to admit, they were HUGE. So, it you like huge oysters, I'd say this is your place. It did take a while for me to get my entree. But the place was fairly crowded so I am understanding in that department. When my seafood platter did finally arrive it was massive. I do believe that it could have easily feed two people. But I was just one so I did the best that I could. The platter included jumbo lump crab cake, imperial stuffed shrimp, 8oz flounder and sea scallops. After looking at my plate I thought, yeah, I should have gotten this broiled. Some of these items aren't meant to be fried, mainly the sea scallops and the crab cake. Being that I was told that I MUST try a crab cake I opted to try that item first. It wasn't all that good. It also tasted like it had cream cheese or something in it. I am one of those weirdo's that thinks that cream cheese doesn't go with seafood, unless it's in a crab wonton, then I am ok with it. I do have to admit however, that the crab cake was FULL of crab. Not like the crab cakes that I have had before that had lots of other stuff in them for filler... these crab cakes were just that... MOSTLY crab. I do think that if I had ordered it broiled, and it didn't have cream cheese it would have been much better. The fish was meh... as were the scallops. The best thing on the platter was the shrimp. They weren't "stuffed" like the menu said, but they were still good. The shrimp were fresh and you could tell by tasting them. One thing I miss living in Washington state, GOOD shrimp like we get back home. All and all the food wasn't bad enough to where I didn't get stuffed by the time I left, and there wasn't ANY room for dessert. But even with that said... I don't think it is a MUST visit place unless maybe you were with someone else and wanted to sit and have boiled crab. Then it would probably be worth it. MOST of the people there, if not ALL of them were eating the boiled crab, so it MUST be good. As far as the service... my server was very nice, and offered a lot of advice, made small talk and made sure my drink wasn't empty for long.

    (2)

  • Marie L.

    I've always loved May's however when six of us went Sunday afternoon for all you can eat the experience was very disappointing. We literally waited 20 minutes for the second tray of crabs and about 15 for the third tray. Fortunately, by the last trays they were coming out a lot quicker and the waitress was apologetic and refilling out drinks however no discount or something along those lines was offered for the extreme inconvenience. Overall though, I wasn't impressed. In my opinion there is absolutely NO reason the wait should be that long when a party is all doing all you can eat. Mays has good crabs but when you're paying that kind of money and not getting what you paid for within a reasonable amount of time I definitely think that is something to be said about how the restaurant is being run and I plan on unfortunately finding another place based of this last experience.

    (2)

  • aj B.

    Please believe the negative reviews. This restaurant is a rip off. You should expect to get Maryland crabs in Maryland Crab house.....NOT HERE. Dinner manager explained (after they brought me the bill for all you can eat crabs special (I had 3 crabs and left) that they put one or two Maryland crabs in the platter you get, the rest are junk (my words) crabs. How bad is it? Crabs so poor I would have gotten better meal with frozen dinner. Had to go to another restaurant after spend almost $50 here to have dinner. Run away from this one.

    (1)

  • Susan W.

    The best deal in three counties on all you can eat crabs! 30 bucks will buy you all the crabs you can cram down your gullet. I'd say 4 out of 5 times those crabs are fresh and few are pre-steamed & mostly medium sized. The long-term waitresses are rather abrupt and don't seem to care much, but the new servers are enthusiastic, energetic & on the ball. The owner and manager are lovely.

    (4)

  • Joyce M.

    If you love crabs... you will not be dissapointed coming here! They have an awesome all you can eat crabs special during the week (M to TR) --just check out the site's menu...don't wanna reveal it because it might change and It's too good of a price to tell everyone! It does come with fries and for four bucks more -- steaks are added to the deal! But if you are all about crabs.... forget the steak! It'll just get in the way! Heard it's packed during the weekend and prices def go up for the AYCE deals. We went on a Tuesday evening and it was pretty full after 7pm. The crabs are small but very meaty! Some larger crabs came on our third OR fourth tray and it wasn't as meaty but they were juicy! The crabs come one tray at a time and they were always Hot! Steam and all! Us Marylanders loooove crabs and our Old Bay, if you don't know what Old Bay is-- read a book. HA! No for real It's Maryland's all spice and adds good flavor. The way most people cook their crabs is coated with the Old Bay as it's cooked, but at May's it was poured on top after it was cooked. I'm not used to that, but it was good still ! We asked for more to dip our crabs in as we ate. Other things to know: Parking is small! Carpool if you can! Make reservations ahead of time! The outside sitting is nice and open. It's covered so if it rains you'll be fine. Inside seemed small and crowded to me. Furniture don't all match, but who cares! I actually like mismatched seating-- like u are at a big chill fam gathering. They have extra sinks to wash your hands at; they are not inside the bathrooms-- which is always nice considering it's a single bathroom (one for each for gender), like at a house. They have match melted butter, old Bay and malt vinegar. I like my crabs with white vinegar with salt, so I brought my own in a water bottle -- Lol! They also provide a wooden mallot and a strong plastic knife. They also give each side of your table buckets for your read/shells. Don't know about the other items on the menu... we just had crabs. By the way, I got drunk of off the crabs. No joke! because it couldn't have been my two cups of beer. So if after the AYCE crabs you start feeling whoosey and pass out like you've partying hard all night-- don't rule out the crabs! Don't Say I didn't warn you!

    (4)

  • Noel T.

    They have the best crab cakes ever. I don't order anything else. Plus, the atmosphere is cozy and casual. If it weren't for the traffic noise of 355 outside, you'd swear you were at the beach. Seafood is expensive, but their prices are reasonable.

    (5)

  • Derek H.

    Don't judge a book by its cover. Until now, I haven't had Maryland Blue Crabs unless it's been on the water on the Bay. It sounds slightly pretentious but I was expecting it would just be fresher and taste better. Well, the last few times we've had crabs down by the Bay, it's been really disappointing. I wasn't up to driving over an hour each way, just to be disappointed again. Though this place seemed very unassuming, I figured it was local and we should give it a try. I like soft shell crabs and my wife likes to "pick" her blue crabs. Both of us were very happy with the quality of the food and the attentiveness of the service. The soft shell crab was a little oily but it was solid and had good flavor. The steamed crabs were "heavy" and sweet. The hushpuppies were, might I say, pretty damn good! Don't judge. Just give it a try. You might be surprised.

    (4)

  • Tammy S.

    We visited May's on 3/28/15 to celebrate my mom's birthday. We arrived at 5:00 and were seated immediately. It is for that reason, I will give them 2 stars. The all-you-can-eat prices ranged from $36.99-$58.99+. Why anyone would pay $60 for dinner in this establishment is beyond me. After taking a look at the small crabs being served at the table next to us, we decided to just order an entree instead of all-you-can-eat. My dad ordered the fried oyster platter and found very little "oyster" underneath all of the breading. My mom and I both got the steamed shrimp, which were over cooked and hard to peel. My daughter ordered the mini cheese pizza from the kids menu along with mashed potatoes, which were sent back, as they were the instant variety. The mac n cheese was a little bit better. The baked potatoes we ordered were also returned, as they were hard and under cooked. Management did ask how our meals were and when we told them, she just walked off. No apology or explanation whatsoever. If they don't really CARE to know the answer, they probably shouldn't ask the question. Our bill came to $135 for 5 of us. Only regret is that we didn't get up and walk out before we ordered! We've made our last trip to May's.

    (2)

  • Katie R.

    I love me some Mays. I honestly dont know where to begin, so I'm going to start at the end. Desert: Apple Dumpling: Ok so they take an apple, wrap it in pie crust, bake it, serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. It's the heaven kind of perfect. Crabs: All you can eats, I've done it all. They have this seafood combo where u can mix it up get some crabs, mussles, clams, shrimp, corn, sausage and french fries. YUM. You can also get different kind of crab combos, all amazing, delightful. There isnt much to say about crabs, either they are good or they arent. These are good :). the price during the week is great, a little more pricey on the weekend, but if you go hungry you defidently get your moneys worth! Chicken with Crab imperial: Holy shite (can we cuss on here??)! This is absolutely to die for! You will only be ordering this on a day when calories arent a concern ok? This isnt a "health consience" kind of day. You have to just enjoy it. I cant describe it, its rather simple. chicken with amazing/delightful/fabulous/mouth watering crab imperial allllll over it. French Fries: YUM YUM YUM. Be warned if you overeat on these you thus have less room for Crabs.... Difficult choice to make sometimes Drinks To these kind folk alcoholic beverages are no joke. I do a fair share of drinking, it usually takes at least 2-3 drinks for me to feel the buzz. I had one vodka/cranberry and attempted to stand, maybe it was the crab... maybe the french fries.. probably the alcohol... I sat back down. Ambiance: During the awful winter months that I hate so dearly you sit inside. No excitement. BUT in the wonderful warm spring/summer/fall they put up a big white tent outside and you eat outside on big picnic table. So FUN! I feel like there is more I am missing.... I'll get back to you.

    (5)

  • Ali C.

    This little gem was great!! So much food and all prepared so well, tasty and prompt!! If in the area definitely try it!!

    (4)

  • Susanne A.

    Mays is awesome for crabs!!! This is a real genuine locally owned restaurant that is great for families. The food is delicious, the service is very attentive, the only downside is the long wait to get in - but this is a testament to how popular this crab shack is.

    (4)

  • Natalie B.

    A casual (tshirt and jeans attire) kind of seafood restaurant. This place has an awesome patio, great for hanging out with friends in the summer and ordering pitchers of beer. The tables are covered in paper and there are painter's buckets by your seat for discarded shells. This place is always packed, so I would recommend reservations. Go if you want shellfish or crustaceans for dinner, without all the fuss. :)

    (4)

  • Spiffy B.

    Disgusting!!! Recycled crabs!! Thankfully we missed the all-u-can-eat crabs because we saw wait staff bussing the tables and literally recycling crabs!! They pulled them from the trays instead of putting them in the garbage if they "appeared" to not have been touched and took them back to the kitchen!! That has to be a health code violation! Who knows what is on people's hands and just because it appeared untouched does not mean they weren't! We ordered fried shrimp, and oysters. I had to send it back. When the manager came to our table she had attitude and told me all of their food was frozen except the crab cakes and crabs. So at that point they offered the feast for two. Why not offer that when we first sat down and asked about the crab special? I also felt a hinge of prejudice in the room from our server. The worst service ever. She treated us like a nuisance and like we didn't belong there. I would avoid this place at all costs if you value your health. The concept of sitting around eating crabs and fries and hush puppies until you burst seems like an excellent concept but we were immediately turned off by the service and the recycled crabs.

    (1)

  • Jamie N.

    Good food! Love to go in the summer and sit outside. Great place for kids. They have a steamed crab kid's meal. Always a fun experience. The crab soup is yummy. Definitely recommend this restaurant!

    (4)

  • Ledbetter A.

    Very very disappointed by the service. We went on Saturday and were told there was going to be a wait. We were fine with that and I was just going to discuss this with the fam when the lady who was in charge butted and literally told us that we should have expected this and we would not find a place to eat. I have been to Mays before and we love going there for the food. I guess I will have to find another place now.

    (1)

  • Jeffrey P.

    Oh yeah! It's summertime and I've truly enjoyed May's "All you can eat crabs" twice this year. For only $21.95, you get endless blue crabs and French fries. A diet coke added to that plus tax and tip makes this a true bargain for around $30, often the price of a mediocre seafood dish at a "chain" seafood place. This is no "chain"...it looks like May's started as a roadhouse way back when on Md Route 355...and hasn't changed much since then. I ate outside, and with the ceiling fans, it was quite tolerable. Note: call ahead to reserve your 2-hour window if you want the all you can eat special. The first time I went this summer, it was much busier, but my visit in Mid-August offered plenty of steaming hot, crispy fries, lots of refills of drink, and a plate full of rather good sized, meaty crabs. The wait staff just seems to know when to refresh your drink, and when to throw a few more crustaceans on your pile. I went with a friend, and we probably went through about 25 crabs or so. After an hour and a half, we had reached the point of "no more crabs please", and left pleasantly full. Of course they give you a mallet and a rigid plastic knife to get at the crab meat, but gone are the days of the awkward plastic bibs with the crab logo on it. Prepare to get kinda messy if you choose the hard shells. The thick plank wood tables outside were just perfect to spread out on, and the ceiling fans kept the air moving. But you may eat inside if you care to...it's just a different experience. Note: they said that they don't steam the crabs with the old bay, but will give you all of the Old bay, butter and vinegar on the side if you request it. It all gets mixed up in the briny wash, and tastes like they were steamed with the spice anyways. As you can see, this maryland native is enthusiastic about the whole crab experience, which includes the zen-like trance you enter when you really get into "picking." I can't complain, as the wait staff are pleasant, food is good, and it's a Maryland summer rite of passage. They do have an extensive menu, but i just come for the crabs....give it a try!

    (5)

  • Doug J.

    Not a pleasant experience. To put it bluntly the service stunk. Not only for the attention to our needs but the way a situation was handled. We started with some appetizers before ordering some crabs and a chicken sandwich. We asked for an addition of crab dip to the sandwich and it was handled totally inappropriately. After chowing on some crabs for some 30 minutes, we asked where the sandwich was and about 10 minutes later it came. Totally overcooked and inedible with about a tablespoon of what they call crab imperial on it. To us it was a crab flavored bread crumbs. The up charge for this addition was supposed to be 10 dollars and when asked to remove it from the bill, they chose to argue that they couldn't take all of it off the check. Now the choice to argue about something that was obviously mishandled will cost them customers. We will not go back. Our server was not readily available and twice we had to ask someone else to help. The crabs were good but expensive($70) a dozen. The back covered patio could use some bigger fans on a hot day. Think about eating inside IF you go because the heat seams to affect the servers attitude and performance.

    (1)

  • Jackie N.

    We went to this local crab shack back in August when it was still nice to sit outside. We got medium blue crabs for the whole table. We also got clams and some sides and appetizers, including cole slaw and crab dip, which were both good. The star of the show, the crabs were huge for medium sized crabs and were tasty and sweet. There were a couple bad ones, but they changed them out for us immediately. Our waitress was pretty attentive and there were no complaints from us, especially since the restaurant was completely packed. In September, when the BF and I went to visit his dad, we grabbed some crabs on the way up. The dozen crabs stayed warm and did not get soggy, even though they had to live in the trunk for the ride from Maryland to upstate New York! If you plan to buy some and take them home with you, make sure to not close the bag. This prevents them from getting soft. All in all, a great experience, especially if you love your crabs and just want to dig in to some juicy meat! I need to go back and try a soft shell crab sandwich!

    (4)

  • Justa D.

    This place is always packed on the weekends so we decided to try it. We went in for an early dinner with the in-laws only to find they had almost all the tables pre-marked with reservations. It was just about 5pm and looking at the reservation cards, many of them were not until 7pm or later. We asked about sitting at all these tables and told them we would be gone well before that and they said no. I don't get it. We decided to go one more time (since it always so packed). We did get a table this time, but would rather we didn't. The food was not very good and for the price was definitely not worth it. Will not be going back.

    (2)

  • Nicole B.

    I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. I will try to be fair, because I used to catch my own crabs out of the bay. To start, we ordered a margarita and a beer. The margarita was tequila and roses line juice. But this is a seafood restaurant so how can you really fault a place for having terrible margaritas? Husband ordered ayce crabs, I ordered 3 steamed crabs, dozen jumbo shrimp, fries, and my kid (7yo) ordered a soft crab sandwich. Shrimp came out first. Delicious. I ordered jumbo and they were huge. Veggie crab soup came out next. There was a total lack of crab soup flavor, but they do have a jar of crab seasoning on the table and once I added my own, it was decent. My 3 crabs came out and so did my husbands ayce crabs. The sides were mia. My 3 medium crabs were watery and mushy and I questioned if they were good or not. They didn't smell bad so I don't think they would make me sick, but the flavor was ...off. Meanwhile still no soft crab for the 7 y.o. I'm finished my 3 crabs, hubby is down 7 crabs and still no soft crab for the 7y.o. Apologizes, blaming the kitchen and 3 trips back to the table telling us that she would check to see if it was ready..along with the French fries I ordered for myself that I realized never came out, the 7yo food finally came out. It was hot and it was good. Just took a ridiculous amount of time to come out, timed at 19 minutes after mine and my husbands food was delivered. Overall, if you are looking for decent seafood especially if you don't have a fine pallet for it, you will enjoy this place. If you grew up eating crabs straight out of the Chesapeake bay, you will not find what you are seeking at this establishment.

    (3)

  • Andy R.

    May's. Great job on last nights dinner! Here are the stats for the 6 adults and 1 child that ate at your place. Two adults had diarrhea, one adult had vomiting and mild diarrhea, one adult had vomiting and severe diarrhea, one adult had vomiting and no diarrhea (so far), one adult (had a burger) unaffected and the child has had mild diarrhea. We all shared what we had so unfortunately it's hard to say what was the culprit. I think it was the soup, others say the shrimp or the crab cakes. It hit us all in about 4 hours after leaving. Unfortunately the food was not that great either. I have eaten plenty places that look a little risky but the food is so good it's worth it. May's definitely not worth it.

    (1)

  • David H.

    Maybe I came out of season, but the crab was not flavorful in the least. Crabcake sandwich was 60% bread, 20% toppings and 20% crab. Could hardly taste the crab. Crab mac is a waste of $10 - literally velveeta mac and cheese with a few chunks of crab meat on top (which, again, you can't taste) service is friendly, parking is no good

    (2)

  • TJ B.

    Great crabs, crabcakes and softshells. Honestly some of the best in the area. Was really let down by the raw oyster preparation, though... ...I'll get back to the other food (which was really good). I had some oysters this weekend. They are out of season so I don't expect them to be great, but the preparation of these oysters was awful. 4 of the dozen had significant amounts of black mud inside with the raw oyster. If you're new to this...everything inside a live oyster is clean. Everything outside the oyster is bacteria laden mud. Sometimes it's tough to avoid a little getting inside when you shuck, but these were pretty grossly prepared. However, since several of these oysters were spit-out-of-your-mouth bad, we sent them back and May's was good about not charging us. I'm sure in season or with a better shucker, they can do a solid dozen, but not today. Now, the CRAB CAKES on the other hand were perfect. Every place you go says they make the state's best crab cake, but May's actually does. Big pieces of lump crab meat, lightly held together, and delicious. Get it as a platter, if they offer it on a bun it'd be a waste of money as this is delicate and fantastic. The soft shell crab was also one of the best I've ever had. Look at the picture I posted. A single crab cake platter will set you back $16 and a double cost $24. It comes with two sides but I was still hungry after eating it. They need larger sides or something to fill you up for your $24. (May, 2013 prices) The crabs are always good at May's. If you are looking for a place to get all you can eat or even just a large dozen to pick at, these are great. You don't get the cold soggy crabs that a lot of places will serve you. They do it right here. Inside is small and cozy, outside is a large beautiful eating area with picnic tables and 4 tops waiting for you to enjoy.

    (4)

  • Corey W.

    If you don't have the time to head to the bay or ocean to eat crabs by the water, this is a great alternative. Sit outside, grab a table, order a pitcher of beer, ask for the all-you-can-eat and get dirty! Crabs are good; hush puppies and corn are great as well. It's not cheap, but we were there for 2+ hours eating, drinking, and enjoying.

    (4)

  • Jeremy P.

    The feast for 2 was good, but not great. A huge amount of food, but way too much seasoning. The shrimp was average, but the crab, mussels, and oysters were delicious. Definitely not a fancy place to go eat, and the fish smell as you walk up was a bit unattractive. Overall it was good but not great.

    (3)

  • River G.

    Can't get enough of Mays!! Im here at least twice a month to get my crab fix! Get there before 7pm mon-thurs for all you can eat! I think it's $27. The staff are super friendly.

    (5)

  • Lisa L.

    I spent part of my childhood in Frederick. I even chose steamed blue crabs as a last meal choice on my yelp profile! lol. My mother is the Southerner. My Dad was from Bmore, MD. Culinarily speaking, i got the best of both worlds. I remember my Dad taking me as a child to a place in Woodsboro called "The Hut" to sit at a newpaper covered table with a table knife and a mallet and spent the afternoon eating hardshell blue crabs. My favorite part is the "mustard" in the main body. DON'T EAT THE DEVILS!!! Lol. May's atmosphere captures JUST THAT! That's what I do when I go there. I order a beer, ask them to keep it full, then I order the AYCE crabs. Last time I was there, I spent 3 and 1/2 hours eating. I could eat my weight in those things!!! I give it 3.5 stars. Drawbacks: Be carefull with the all you can eats. Be sure to tell your server FIRMLY- NO REHEATED CRABS! ALL FRESH! There's nothing yuckier than a reheated crab still in it's shell. They can and DO use that for crab cakes, etc. The other drawback: The service is the luck of the draw. Some are sweet, personable, and attentive. Other's are slow, inattentive, and sometimes borderline rude. And to the person complaining of the smell. You don't try to sit out back of a shellfish place and try to eat. Especially if real estate is scarce. Not alot of backyard and most of it taken up by dumpster. It's common sense. Sometimes there are things to overlook in the name of great authentic regional cuisine.

    (4)

  • Ellen W.

    Came here today looking forward to their fried oysters and was told that it wasn't part of the all-you-can-eat menu anymore. WTF? I've been coming here for years and was extremely upset. The server also gave us a tiny table and refused to move us until he realized that nothing fit. He then moved us to a table that no one occupied since we got there. I've always had a good experience there but today was unexplainable. Not sure if I'll go back there again because the fried oysters were my favorite. Service was ok as well, not as good as usual. I didn't recognize anyone there and I usually see the same servers and May herself. Not sure if anything is going on with this establishment but no fried oysters is going to really impact my decision to come back here again.

    (3)

  • Dorian P.

    wonderful deal on all you can eat crabs. $35 all you can eat crabs, also included in this miracle meal; coleslaw, soup, fries, and drink. of course, there's nothing like a great brew with some steamed blue crabs, so we opted for the beer menu instead of the soft drinks. also, a salad bar with a wide array of pastas and fixings caught my eye, but by the time i polished off the first three trays of crustaceans with my boyfriend, i couldn't even look at a single piece of lettuce, i was so stuffed. the crabs are on the small side, but i didnt expect dungeoness with a $35 deal. had a couple "bad ones", so keep an eye out. the service was a little slow, our server seemed frazzled from the amount of business on that saturday. nevertheless, our crabs were always served pipin' hot! i cant wait to go back, hopefully this time MD wont have a tornado warning and we could make use out of the large back deck with the beautiful view of snakeman's tattoo parlor nextdoor :)

    (4)

  • mike m.

    Had lunch on Friday - March 2, 2012 - they had crabs by the dozen - expensive - but they are out of season - so yeah - you're gonna pay - and they were really good! Somebody ordered a crab cake sandwich - they loved it. I will go back when I am near there again - we were on our way to go skiing and live out of town - heard about this place from a friend and glad I went.

    (4)

  • Marvin G.

    After discovering that Jug Bridge was closed down, I was guided to this little restaurant. I ddint do the all you can eat, but the prices for that is reasonable. I belive about $30 - 35. I had the raw Oysters on a half shell, Snow King crab legs, and Jumbo shrimp. It was all good. It is a nice little homey place.

    (4)

  • William T.

    The first time I went to this place was about four years ago and it was pretty good - both the food and service. I went back a year later and it really sucked. I was with a group of people and of course mine was the order that got lost. When I finally got my food, it was barely room temperature. It's been about three years since then and I decided to try it again last night. The place is still a dump. It's not quaint or anything close - just a dump. The waitress acted put out that we didn't know exactly what we wanted when she was ready to take our order. We were told that they didn't offer the number of crab legs we wanted, but when she came back to take our order, we pointed out on the menu exactly what we wanted. All she said was "oh ... I forgot". The crab legs came out with no cracker (or whatever you call it) so we had to track down a couple. The sides came out after the crab legs and just like the last time I ate there, they were cold. A complete waste of $22 per person. Save your money and go somewhere else.

    (2)

  • Steff C.

    This place has good seafood! Great crabcake sandwich and really good cream of crab soup! The only thing is very expensive! It's not always clean inside and can be rowdy sometimes otherwise it's great seafood!

    (4)

  • Angel R.

    The crab is always quickly on your table and perfectly steamed. The shrimp are yummy too. Avoid the steamers (clams), they tend to have a funky aftertaste. The wait staff is usually very friendly and attentive. All you can eat is really kind of a waste. We usually just order a dozen and a half of medium blue claw, 1/2 pound of shrimp and keep the Heinekin comin'! Kid's meals are cute as they are served on frisbees that the kids can take hom and annoy the neighbors with :) Finally, it's a crab house for crying out loud! No white table cloths here! It's crowded, loud, and ultra-casual.

    (5)

  • Donnell S.

    Maybe I went there on an off day. I ordered the all you could eat crab. It was so overcooked that the meat was actually black and hard in some of the claws and legs. I ate what I could and filled up on the side items. I then thought I'd try and see if it were a bad batch, so I asked for just 2 more crabs. Those 2 were actually cooked correctly, so apparently they stuck me with a tray of crab that had been drying out under the heat lamps or something. Really not acceptably for a $40+ meal. Everyone else at the table got different things and they were all very lackluster. Way too much money for poor food. Never again.

    (1)

  • LD H.

    A bit more of a dive than I had expected, but I have found some of the best food ever served are from small mom/pop 'dives'. Lots of parking and easy for oversized vehicles. Two of us ordered the crab and two others ordered other menu items. The crabs came out 15 minutes before the rest of our meals. Since their all you can eat crab meals comes with at least fries and steak, this was annoying as the rest didn't arrive at the same time. Waitress say they can't control when the crabs come out as that comes from a different kitchen area (duh, can't coordinate with each other?). And also discourteous of our table partners that hadn't received their meals either. So by the time we got the rest of our meals, the crabs were cold. And it didn't help that my steak and fries were also cool even though they were just brought out. Steak was a bit rubbery and certainly needed the steak sauce that they put on the table for just that purpose. Our second batch of crab was hot and fresh and redder shells than the first batch, and I suspect the first batch, based on the color of the shells, had been sitting awhile before being brought to our table...my guess they cooked a whole lot of them for the start of the dinner hour and so they'd been sitting around even longer than the 15 minutes we waited for the rest of our meal to be served. I had to ask for ketchup, and before we were completely finished with dinner, a different waitress came and took our ketchup (we didn't have a need for it by then, but don't they have enough to go around to all the tables?). The crabs were small, which was okay, but I like leg meat and the legs were so small that it wasn't worth the effort...just the body and claws. The one who had scallops said they were okay but not impressive. Kept our water and iced tea filled, so that is a huge plus just there. I have been to much nicer 'dives' for all you can eat crab feasts and I was not impressed with this place and can't figure out why they are rated so high. I am glad others have had great experiences but I couldn't figure out what was so great about this place.

    (2)

  • Carol S.

    been coming here for years...today had what I think is the best crabcake sandwich ever...nothing but lump crab meat...my companion raved about his hamburger even tho May's specializes in seafood...a not-so-hidden gem in Frederick, Md.

    (5)

  • Gregory K.

    After hearing about this place for a few years, a couple of friends and I decided to give them a try. In addition to an a la carte menu, they have various tiers of all you can eat crabs. We chose the first tier ($30) which included all you can eat crabs, crab soup, fries, hush puppies, cole slaw and corn. I was disappointed with their soup...growing up in the Baltimore area spoiled me towards crabs and I thought their soup lacked a certain kick that I grew accustomed to. Actually, out of the 3 of us who went, only one was not originally from Baltimore and he was the only one who kept ordering the soup...the 2 Baltimoreans didn't even finish the first bowl. So based on the soup, my expectations were quite low for the crabs but I sure was surprised when the waitress brought us a tray full of decent sized crabs. I thought for sure they'd give the all-you-can-eat eaters puny crabs, but these were large and filled with meat. Altogether, we ate 3 trays full of crabs (for a table of three, a tray contains 15-18 crabs). It definitely fixed our crab craving for awhile.

    (4)

  • Cassie R.

    The seafood is very good and fresh. The atmosphere is reminiscent of "I feel like I'm at a dive at Ocean City" but in a good way. They also have very good apple dumplings and ice cream for dessert. We have only gotten lunch here and have never tried the all you can eat crabs, but we always see people enjoying them. This is the only place in Frederick where I'll order a crab cake. It is 100% crab and no weird tasting fillers. The soft shell crab sandwich is also very good. This is a nice local seafood place and we will continue to go back. I am giving it 4 stars because the food is so good, the best seafood in Frederick. The cons are the service (not always so great), the parking, and the location.

    (4)

  • justin p.

    May's has pretty good crabs (probably the best in Frederick), but I don't recommend getting the all you can eat crabs, because they'll bring you the tiniest crabs and they'll be slow about bringing them too, so you 'll fill up on other crap instead of crabs. Much better to go straight out and get a dozen big crabs than eat 2 dozen teenies. Their crab cakes are mostly good, but they aren't always as meaty as they could be. Usually it's pretty crowded. The salad bar is usually pretty fresh. The service can be spotty. The fudge brownie with ice cream is pretty dang good.

    (4)

  • Ginny B.

    Yes, it is a very casual atmosphere and they don't really make friends with me because they won't accept substitutions with the "all you can eat crabs" meal. I mean, come on, is it really that much to substitute a salad for hush puppies and fries? I don't personally enjoy eating greasy sides one right on top of the other but that's my only gripe. The crabs are delicious and they are very prompt about bringing you more before you even ask. It's not a fancy place, but it's great for what it is...a delicious, messy crab cracking shack!!

    (4)

  • Joe K.

    I live close by this dine in or dine outside undercover restaurant. First I have to say this restaurant was packed and parking might be the worst thing about this place. Not enough parking and I had to park down the street at the shopping center and walk back. We ate outside on this particular day with a breeze. I had all you can eat crabs that were very hot with good flavor and seasoning The staff was excellent with fast service. I would recommend visiting this place off peak to get a close place to park. Will definitely go back and try the other seafood they have to offer. They handle large parties with reservations. Very little wait time.

    (4)

  • Maya C.

    Wow Flounder imperial, soo good! Also the snow crab legs! Was not crazy about the mac and cheese side, but the portions were good. Hush puppies, my bf liked them. The flounder imperial had big lump crab meat, realllly gooood! The downside is that stinky smell in the back, unfortunately we were sat near it, got worse by the end of our meal. We were one of the last tables out, but personnel decided to remove the trash while we were eating, making the stench even worst. Too bad :( I would give another rating if it wasn't for the stinky smell.

    (3)

  • Ted R.

    This is the place for seafood in Frederick. My wife and I shared the feast and added 4 crabs and we had plenty to take home. I honestly think this could feed 3 to 4 people. Outstanding and our server was fun and great.

    (4)

  • Calvin F.

    Yes, I am a fan of May's. I was taken aback when the forst batch of crabs came out because they were really small, so I thought I was in for a day of disappointment. But from the second batch on the crabs were big, meaty and piping hot. The only issue I do have with the crabs is that they arent steamed with old bay at all. After the crabs are cooked, the staff then puts old bay seasoning on the crabs and doing so adds no flavor and you end up with dry old bay falling all over the place...but otherwise the crabs were good. WARNING: do not go for the any of the all-u-can-eat upgrades. Their fried and steamed shrimp are the worst shrimp Ive ever had in my life! And the alaskan crab legs are just OK. Just stick with the crabs and you will leave happy.

    (4)

  • Heather C.

    great place for seafood and large groups! i usually do the AUCE or just the crab legs and have always been happy with that, expect to spend between $30-$60 on food, seafood isn't cheap this far away from the Chesapeake, so its a given. also Parking is a pain in the ass here! this place is almost ALWAYS packed, even on a monday night! *Tip park on the other side of the fence by Lowes, its an over flow lot! also if you eat outside bring or wear bug spray or you will get bitten up! Cream of Crab soup is also super good!

    (3)

  • Reed H.

    REAL old style seafood restaurant. Of course it's all about the crab, but I had fried flounder, hushpuppies and slaw. Delectable!

    (4)

  • Dan M.

    This is a great place for local seafood They have all-you-can-eat specials before 7pm and the will provide demonstrations on how to properly eat a crab.

    (4)

  • Connie M.

    I think the problem with my visit is that I came here in the off season for crabs. This place was such a disappointment. In the past, I've tried to get in during peak season, and the line is out the door! Not on this visit! The place was empty. I took a peak at the salad bar and it was old looking, the lettuce and veggies looked like they were sitting there for several days, so I passed on the salad bar. I ordered fried shrimp but it smelled very fishy to me so I picked at my plate, paid and left. I'll definitely come back again, but I will only do so when crabs are in season.

    (2)

  • Nicole R.

    I love May's, but know this, you should make reservations as they get quite busy. The AYCE Crabs are great, the service has always been great.

    (5)

  • Ann K.

    Steamed crab is awesome. Firm, fresh, and meaty, better than expected.

    (4)

  • Mike C.

    All-You-Can-Eat steamed blue crabs and beer. How can you go wrong? I was in Frederick and everyone said to go check out May's. Their prices are kinda high unless you just go for the all-you-can-eat. With the meal came non-stop coblettes of corn, hush puppys, soup, and fries. Maybe they had some coleslaw but I didn't really notice because I was devouring crab like a monster. I love Yuengling beer so I was sippin on some the whole crab fest. They also have Killian's by the pitcher. Some of the crab seemed a little over cooked. When I get one of those, i just tear thru the bodies and dump the legs and shell in the 5 gallon dump bucket; which was conveniently located next to me. If you want your money's worth, get the all-u-can-eat. I went to May's twice and my highest score was 23 crabs XD

    (4)

  • Manish K.

    Great food and great service! The ladies at this place are wonderful and pleasant. The crabs came out steaming out and the quality was first class. the wings were also very good. It is a long drive but worth every second!

    (5)

  • K B.

    We go here couple times a year. It is pretty much only place around that has auce crabs. I would say last 3 out of 4 times I have been disappointed. The crabs have been rather small and had lots of water in them. Not sure if they are over cooking them or what but the water just drips out of crab when you pick it up. Inside decor needs some serious updating. Outside seating is nice. Wait crew are just ok, manager with short blonde hair has nasty attitude. They need to abolish singing birthday songs they sound like a bunch of dying cats. Overall we go here because its the only one around. Maybe one day someone will open a nicer place

    (3)

  • K C.

    I definately frequent May's during crab season. Great all you can eat options. The wait staff is wonderful!! Even though I am sure they hate crab season :) On a recent visit (6/1/2013) the wait was 1 hour plus and we were informed that drinks could be purchased and consumed out front. Wonderful idea! Here is my complaint/issue: I was given a hard time over using my debit card for our $7.00 drink tab and hounded for cash. I was told they have a minimum charge requirement. When I reminded the lady we were waiting 1 hour for a table she reluctantly took my card huffing and puffing the entire time. So I did not have to mention that Visa and MasterCard DO NOT allow minimum or maximum charge requirements. May's could elect to apply a surcharge (which would not be in their best interest) as long as they post a sign and inform their customers of the surcharge percentage in advance. However, this fee is still not allowed for debit cards purchases. By the way our food bill was over $70.00 so we were not cheap customers. UPDATE: It would appear that charge minimums, not to exceed $10.00, are allowed under new law. However, it still should not apply to debit card transactions.

    (3)

  • Robin S.

    This place is the best Frederick has to offer! I had oysters on the half shell (from Delaware) which were great, crab bisque was yummy & crab cakes were out of this world. And the service was excellent!! Also, try the local beer!

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    We sat outside the other day and it stunk SO bad out there like a mixture of restaurant trash and rotted seafood. The crabs were just "ok" and the waiter was nice but dumb as a box of rocks and he definitely wasn't on top of things. The stuffed mushrooms were really good - that was about it. When I went in to wash my hands at a sink (near the kitchen) it smelled wretched - like dead fish. NASTY! The all you can eat specials seemed like a good value (we ordered bigger crabs off of the menu) but I wouldn't return if the crabs were free. I will not be returning and would much rather wait until I'm in Baltimore and I can go to Dockside where they have the some of the best crabs that I have ever had in Maryland.

    (2)

  • Harry C.

    Passing through town, and asked about local places for crab. Very local, casual, and not phony. The service is efficient but a bit distant. Full bar but I had a local beer. Several large groups having crab and obviously enjoying it. I had a crab cake, which was a bit smaller than I have had elsewhere, but very very good. I would go back, but I would get 2 crab cakes. Note they close at 9PM. Unless you are a local or have GPS, this place is a bit off the beaten track.

    (4)

  • Kjirsten K.

    This place is awesome. We came here while visiting Frederick and enjoyed sitting outside, eating good food, and drinking reasonably priced beer. The crab cake and sweet potato fries were really good and the server was very friendly. My dining companion had a great time going to town on a tray of blue shell crabs. I really liked the casual setting and would definitely come back here when in the area.

    (4)

  • Chef A.

    Frederick's only "real" crab house, May's food is pretty good. The environment is pretty laid back, and other patrons don't really go out of their way to dress up, use any civilized dinner manners, or even bother to shower. (I've heard the f-bombed used by people in several tables more in an hour than I do a day onboard a coast guard cutter!) The food isn't the cheapest, but the quality is pretty good. I did a cheap meal thanks to recent monetary budget cutbacks. As a result, I started with the crab dip appetizer which was pretty good, and there was a ton of it. I do prefer a bread bowl vs the two dozen pieces of toasted bread, but meh. The service was pretty quick, and the decor kept me amused till my entree' was ready. I followed up my appetizer with a crab cake sandwich. And, I do have to state, that this was 100% crab, no filler, not even sure what binds the sandwich together, but it was clearly one of the best crab cakes I have had all week, and I do eat a lot of crab cakes during the course of my week. Overall, I think this is the best laid back crab joint in town and give it my highest rating ever, 5 thumbs up.

    (5)

  • Ira J.

    We found this place by chance and so glad we did! Fantastic food and great atmosphere! Crab cakes were awesome and the Feast for 2 was an ambitious, but satisfying choice. The crab was seasoned wonderfully.

    (5)

  • Lora P.

    I would have totally given this restaurant another star if the service hadn't been so bad. The food was really good- I ordered the crab cakes with sweet potato fries on the side and the crab cakes were awesome! They had barely any breadcrumbs or filler and it was all huge lumps of sweet crabmeat. It was super filling and rich so I wasn't able to eat but one of them and the sweet potato fries were pretty good too! The problem with our experience was our waitress!! We were seated outside and sat there for at least 10 minute with no menus and no one even came to take our drink order. Finally, one of our party went inside and got us some menus. Our waitress finally showed up and we were able to order- when our food finally came, that was about the last time we saw her until our check came. She never came to check on us or see if we needed anything. It was a cool restaurant, but it could have been a lot better experience if she'd waited on us properly.

    (3)

  • Shawn J.

    Recently, we travled to Maryland for business, I'm from Houston. Houston has a great food scene with different types of restaurants(mom/pop and chains), so when I was in Maryland I wanted to taste the local fair and it was heaven! Mays was WONDERFUL. We enjoyed the all-u-can-eat crabs(blue crabs) and ff and stuffed our bellies until sleep crept upon us. We had ate so much crab we did not realize how full we had gotten until the second tray of crabs, that's when we realized we could not handle anymore. I encourge anyone who is traveling to Frederick to please stop at Mays it will be enjoyable. If you're looking for an upscale restaurant that's not what you will find. However, if you would like to get down and dirty eating blue crabs then this is the place for you!

    (5)

  • Keith Z.

    Great crabs, AYCE - and an on the ball waiter. We'll be back.

    (5)

  • Chuck W.

    I travel a lot, and over the years I have determined that restaurants resembling my grandmother's house usually have excellent food. May's only served to strengthen my hypothesis. It is a quaint little place that almost instantly grabs your attention as you drive by. It actually does look like a place my grandmother would live. The only difference was that grandma's place never had 30 cars parked around it. Finally, after driving by for five or six days, I had to stop in and give it a try. The lady that served me did not look like my grandmother, but I think she was actually a bit nicer. I started with the cream of crab soup which was ridiculously good. When my small bowl was empty I found myself sopping up the residue with my finger...I know...grandma would have never tolerated such a thing. For my main course, I had their homemade crab cakes. I was served two very large cakes with hush puppies and an ample mound of freshly made coleslaw. After my first bite of crab cake, I wanted to do nothing less than run through the crowded dining room giving everyone high fives while playing a vuvuzela. But again, grandma would have been a bit irritated. So, I contained my enthusiasm and focused my energy on eating. Put simply these were some of the best crab cakes I have ever had the privilege of consuming. They were...well....perfect. The coleslaw was also quite tasty, and the little hush puppies, though a bit dry, were simply right out of grandma's kitchen. As my food frenzy began to wind down, I looked at what the other patrons were eating. Most of them were busy dissecting piles of steamed blue crab with tiny forks, shell crackers, and small gavels (kind of like the one Nancy Pelosi uses...only much more effective). As I watched them devour their crabs I noticed they all had something in common....no they did not all look like grandma....well one did...but....never mind about that. The one thing that they all had in common was that they were really enjoying their meals. When you dine out a lot, you can really learn to tell when people are into their food, and this crowd would have fought for their crabs. When I was done with my meal, I paid my bill resisting the urge to kiss my grandmother goodbye. I did promise the cashier that I would call every Sunday though. As I walked to my car I turned around and looked back, halfway expecting to see her standing at the door waving.. Overall, my meal was outstanding. This place is a real treasure, and you will be hard pressed to find better crab cakes anywhere. The only reason that I did not give May's five stars is because grandma has quit taking my calls.

    (4)

  • Michael K.

    Definitely a good restaurant. Service is great and food is good. We've only been there once for crabs and they did not disappoint. Only issue is that they steam the crabs and shrimp without seasoning, which I just don't understand. They will steam with their home made seasoning if you ask and I wish they would have told us that before we ordered. Crabs were delicious just the same, but the shrimp had absolutely no flavor. We ordered take out crabs for the Fourth of July steamed with seasoning and they were great.

    (4)

  • Bob B.

    This is a must stop on the way to DC. I plan my trip around it. Totally authentic crab pickin'. Crab cakes are 100% crab. Worth a trip from anywhere! Very casual. Nice patio. Warning: Don't bother if you are looking for upscale ambiance.

    (5)

  • Neck F.

    How this dump has such good ratings is a mystery, there is not a worse seafood place in Maryland. Chain restaurants with mediocre seafood still put this place to shame. Dropped by on Saturday night for the first time and that will be the last time we ever go. The place itself is dirty and run down, not cool crab shack kind of raggedy, just plain trashy. Building is rotting away and good luck parking unless you want your car destroyed. The service sucked, took our friends an hour to get their food and then took ours an additional 25 minutes to arrive. We all ordered at the same time but somehow the food was prepared so very far apart. The server was very short and in a rush the whole time. Now to the food. Our friends got a feast for two which sounded yummy, $60 also made it sound exquisite. Lol what a joke that was. No seasoning on anything, raw corn, uncooked mussels, shrimp was bland, crabs looked good but certainly didn't make up for the rest especially considering the cost. Our food included the crab cake platter which was smaller than a happy meal and still $16. Mashed potatoes sucked, hospital cafeteria food type. Mac and cheese was OK but was super small in portion. The crab cake made a slider look huge, it was tiny, unseasoned and not fully cooked. I myself ordered the fried shrimp at the whopping price of $22. Eight whole shrimp that were overcooked and not nearly the "fresh hand battered jumbo shrimp" advertised on the menu. 12 french fries and some scorched hush puppies accompanied by sad shrimp on a plate stolen (not kidding) from Joes Crab Shack. All in all we spent a ton of money and left hungry and irritated. Even the beer that should have helped out was stale and not all that cold. This place is a total failure and is not worthy of its reputation. I assume people only say its good because nobody wants to admit they emptied their wallet for total crap. This is not real seafood, its certainly not fresh and the cooks have no clue what they are doing. If you want to smell trash while you try and stomach raw seafood and dodge falling drywall, give Mays a try. Otherwise you may want to save your money and hit up the nearest mall food court as they rival this place for quality. Come on May's , if you're going to charge so much for garbage, at least fix your not up to code dwelling. Nothing quite like trying to chew raw mussels while staring down mold and termite damage.

    (1)

  • Nicholas A.

    I have not been to May's in a couple years but always was impressed with their crabs. On Monday 6/17/13, I went to May's for their All-U-Can eat crabs which was advertised on their website for $29.99. I arrived at 6:15pm and was told they were out of All-U-Can eat crabs but you can buy them by the dozen (oooook, thought you are out). I asked how much a dozen crabs would be and was told $42 for mediums (WOW)!!! I decided not to get crabs but give their dinner menu a try. The prices on the menu were more then a seafood restaurant I visited at the BEACh 2 weeks ago! After ordering it took 45 minutes to get our food!! I have the Chicken with crab imperial and my friend had the crab cake sandwich. Not too hard of an order but seriously...45 minutes on a Monday night??? The food was average but nothing worth the wait. Oh they also ran out of french fries. The Managements needs to learn how to better order supplies. I was disappointed and will not be going back to May's.

    (1)

  • Lorin G.

    The crabs smelled bad and when I complained the manager said to eat them not smell them. Anyone who gives this place a good review is nuts.

    (1)

  • Yennifer W.

    Don't go to this place. The short haired white hostess is the most racist red neck woman I've ever met.

    (1)

  • Deborah M.

    May's has stopped steaming their blue crabs in Old Bay Seasoning for the all you can eat. They precook the crabs before they arrive at the restaurant then re-steam per order putting the Old Bay on after steaming. They said they are doing this since the seasoning clogs the drainage on their new steaming system. However, it effects the flavor a whole lot. The crab meat is bland without the salt of the seasoning and with out the tang of vinegar in the steaming water. If you just throw it on top it does not flavor the meat. Disapointing.

    (4)

  • Lisa H.

    If this had been my first visit to Mays I'd only give 1 star, but being fair, I've been many times in the last 10 years and never had a problem, but tonight was a bad exception. Horrible service, decent food. Tonight we had a party of 12 for my son's birthday and sat in the new patio area, which would have been great if the trash cans that smelled like pig poop weren't right beside our table. Eventually they were moved or emptied but there was really no reason for the funk in the first place. We were seated at 7pm, finally saw our waitress for the first time at 7:15. She took our drink order then disappeared for another 10 minutes. When she finally took our food order at 7:30 she tried to tell us we weren't seated by 7pm so we couldn't order the all you can eat crabs and fries. We told her that we'd actually arrived a little before 7 but had to wait until 7 to be sat. We also had reservations for 7pm which is why I was so sure of our arrival time. After the confusion on her part was cleared up, she allowed the 6 in our group who wanted the AYCE to order it. It took close to another 30 minutes before any food arrived..and when it did it was 2 bowls of the cream of crab soup (super delicious!) and one of those little cardboard baskets of fries which evidently was the first "round" of fries intended to be shared by 6 people. I'm sorry but that is ridiculous! She just plopped the fries on the table and walked away, leaving us to just look at each other and wonder who's fries they were. A few minutes later the first tray of crabs arrived, and they were one of the few good things about this visit. They were good sized, hot, and tasty, according to those that were eating them. The rest of us ordered sandwiches or dinner entrees which took another 15 minutes to arrive, and most of the items were luke warm. We also had to ask our waitress twice for silverware after our entrees arrived, which took about another 5 minutes, while our food cooled off even more. We had also ordered 2 lbs of steamed shrimp as an appetizer, but didn't get those until we were about half way done with our entrees. Absolutely no excuse for waiting that long..it's not like they take long to cook! And considering they were barely warm, I again put the blame on the incompetent and indifferent waitress. I can totally understand being busy and overwhelmed but this level of service was inexcusable. No apology or explanation for any of the delays. Maybe she didn't care about giving decent service because her tip was automatically added to the bill, but again, no excuse. If she'd been somewhat attentive I would have gladly added another 5% or more to the tip, but she didn't deserve the 18% she did get. If this had been my first visit I would definitely not return. But, my husband loves their crab soup, which is the only reason we might return. Never again will I go for the AYCE nor with a large group. I refuse to be forced to reward bad service, but gladly tip 25% for good service.

    (2)

  • Leon W.

    Went last night for dinner for first time. Didn't have a reservation but only had to wait 15 minutes. Ordered all you can eat including crab legs. Server first brings out all the filling food (fried clams, fried shrimp, fries, hushpuppies, and steamed shrimp) hoping you will fill up before the crabs or crab legs come out. All the fried food was more breading than seafood, very cheap quality. Fries soggy, hushpuppies ok. Crabs were ok but more work than they were worth. Crab legs and steamed shrimp were good. They never stopped bringing out the food so you shouldn't leave hungry. CAUTION: Don't fall into their trap. Stay away from the fried food and save your appetite for the crabs and especially the crab legs. If they are going to serve fried food, need better quality.

    (3)

  • Susan J.

    Crabs are great. Parking is a problem. Given Mays is the only crab game in town, the owner should consider moving to a location where there is more ample parking or make friends with the surrounding businesses to share parking or put a bar in your place where people can wait and have a drink before their reservation. These nearby businesses are NOT your competitors.

    (3)

  • Mark T.

    Awesome Blue Crabs. Love the divey atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Andy J.

    The night I was there they had a special of all you can eat crab and french fries for $22. Unbelievable price for quality food. My only complaint is a few of the crabs were slightly over cooked.

    (4)

  • Kevin W.

    This place is not much to look at but the food is well worth it. The food was great. I would travel hours out of my way to come eat here. There all you can eat specials are a can't miss.

    (5)

  • Patti M.

    Went for lunch today w a friend and my granddaughter. i ordered the cream of crab soup, was very bland, did have some lumps of crab meat but i had to keep putting pepper and seasoning in the bowl. My crab cake was all lump, needed more seasoning so i added but i did enjoy, tomato on top was very fresh, roll was soft! fries sucked. ordered my GD 1/2 of steamed shrimp, brought us 1 pound instead of 1/2, when i questioned she didn't offer to charge me for 1/2. that sucked. shrimp were bland, needed WAY more seasoning. my friend ordered a soft crab sandwich, she said she has had much better. sandwich was very small, w only 1 small soft crab. giving the review only 3 stars because if u order 1/2 pound of steamed shrimp for a young child u shouldn't have to pay for a pound. the crabs looked great, probably the biggest i've seen this season. i would return for crabs IF they would steam w extra seasoning for me.

    (3)

  • Harris H.

    I am not sure why it has taken me this long to post my review but here it is. We always opt for the all you can eat, and always tell the waitress to not bother with the french fries and hush puppies as we are there to pound the crab legs. We explain to make sure that they start a fresh order upon dropping an order and we will let them know when we are slowing down. It never works out that way. We wait 10-15 minutes for our first tray of legs, and they are almost always luke warm to cold for some reason. They also always still come with the fries and puppies. Then, after our last cluster is gone, we wait another 10-15 minutes. The crab legs are only ok at best until the last couple trays when they are piping hot. We haven't been in 2 years because it is always this way. They do not listen to what we tell them and we end up not having that great of a time. 5 straight times I said I wouldn't be back, and the last one finally was the one that sealed the deal. To spend $120 after tax and tip and not enjoy that much is a little steep. We now go out towards Edgewater or Annapolis and get the good crab cakes instead of wasting our money at Mays.

    (2)

  • Carol S.

    This is a family owned business. It has that small town, homey feeling to it. Its a great place for families and groups to get together and party. I was by myself and I was treated very nicely. The wait staff is friendly and service was very efficient. I had the stuffed shrimp with crab imperial and the salad bar. The salad bar was good and I enjoyed a Blue Moon fresh from the tap while I was waiting. The stuffed shrimp with crab imperial had a good amount of lump crabmeat. It was a bit too salty for me but then I'm not used to using much salt. I would love to come back for the All-You-Can-Eat crabs and shrimp.

    (4)

  • Chelsea R.

    Edited to add: this evening, 8/13/15, the service was severely lacking. I knocked off a star because I am very disappointed. I can't get the waitress's attention for anything! The crab cakes at May's are 100% crab meat and are FAT. I take all of my out of town guests here for a good meal. The AYCE crabs can't be beat, price wise, in the area. The service at May's is always top notch and I've never been left waiting long once I'm seated. This is a place you have to eat if you're ever in the area!

    (4)

  • Ichi L.

    This place was just ok, it's kind of a tradition to eat here with my coworkers when we go to DC. We arrived at 7:30pm on a Wednesday and were told that they have stopped serving AYCE 2 hours before closing. I knew that you're only allotted 2 hrs to eat if you order the AYCE but wasn't aware that if there's less than 2 hrs left until closing you're actually not allowed to do AYCE... Regardless, it was all good. We ended up ordering a dozen large crabs and Seafood Feast for 2 to share amongst the 5 of us. I agree with other reviews that getting the a-la-carte crabs is actually a better deal, bigger crabs = less effort + more crab meat. I also agree that other than their crabs and snowcrab legs, the rest of their items are really underwhelming. The shrimps/mussels/clams/crawfish that came with the feast platter were just blah and not at all fresh (a bit shriveled and off-tasting). The bill came out around $35pp,we were stuffed to the gills and got to try a variety of items (instead of just fries + small crabs for the AYCE) so I think it actually turned out for the better! I'd definitely go back for the fun of crab cracking, but will be sure to stick with crabs and legs only.

    (3)

  • Oni W.

    Wonderful! Steamed crab check! Steamed clams check! Looks like an old time roadhouse and that's what it probably is. You'll need to wash up afterwards, and that's okay!

    (5)

  • Jax S.

    Hopefully yesterday was just an off-day, up until now we've always gotten really good crabs here. We ordered the x-large, and had to send back two batches due to bad crabs. Waitress was pretty awesome about it, no complaints there.

    (2)

  • Judy G.

    I was skeptical about trying this place for my birthday dinner after reading other reviews. One of my sister's has been here twice and with her saying that even after iffy reviews she would still go back then I made up my mind to try it. Boy am I glad we did. The parking lot was full and I was afraid there might be a wait for a table but as soon as we walked in, we were seated. The waitress was right there to see what we wanted to drink and from that moment on, we didnt have to ask for a thing once she took our food order. We both had the AUCE and if you leave this place hungry, then its your fault. We had the #3 and from there we ordered the crab legs, fried oysters, fried and steamed shrimp and oh yeah I tried the crab soup. Very fresh food and plenty of it. She would load us up before we even finished what we already had. The service was great, the food was great, parking was a little rough but we will definitely go back. A must try if you're in the Frederick area.

    (5)

  • Phyllis B.

    Seafood and more seafood. I had the all you can eat crabs and crab legs. That came with all you can eat shrimps fried and steamed, clams and more... I've been here trice this summer and both times the servers were friendly and kept the good coming. I've been to other all you can eat places and would have to beg for more food I had to beg the servers to stop bringing me good. The atmosphere was fun and the food great. Thumbs up for all seafood lovers.

    (3)

  • Cristina D.

    I love hard shell crabs but live in Gaithersburg so my choices are limited for crabs. May's crabs are great. The place is nothing fancy and right off a main road but the crabs are consistently good and the prices are better than than my other crab places I like in Bethesda and Annapolis. The service is good but is not great. Usually I need to exert some effort tracking down my waiter or waitress for a drink refill for the check but the place is usually busy so I understand. I have only had the hard shell crabs which are cooked perfectly and true to order size as well the crab cakes which are full of lump crab meat.

    (4)

  • Erin M.

    The only place we go for crabs when not at the beach! All you can eat crabs and hush puppies. Oh their hush puppies are amazing and I wish I could have them all the time. Try eating them with tartar sauce and they are even better. Their crabs are always meaty and delicious. Sitting there having crabs and sharing a pitcher of beer is always my favorite times with my mom

    (5)

  • Dave A.

    Saltiest crabs in Frederick. LIP CRACKING SALTY. You could feel the moisture being sucked from your body. And how you can use that much spice and still have bland crab meat is a mystery. Not to mention being charged for every refill on regular drink. It is a shame places like Jug Bridge closed up and this place remains. I would sooner eat fake crab seafood salad on a sub from Subway... Avoid this place at all costs

    (1)

  • Chanel W.

    Words cannot express how disappointed we were with our experience at Mays. We traveled quite a ways to order their shrimp and crabs. The shrimp was mushy and not clean and the crab legs were dry and tasteless inside. All restaurant have times when something comes out if the kitchen not up to par. We wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, and we asked to speak to the manager. In the background we could hear him stating that nothing was wrong with the food. He wouldn't even speak to us. I thought he was the rudest business owner ever. This was unfortunate as we have made it clear to family and friends that we would not recommend this place.

    (1)

  • Helen B.

    Quick and delicious. I was driving through and waned steamed crabs. I got a table for one immediately. I settled on 3 large crabs and a house salad. I was in and out in less than an hour. $22 with friendly service.

    (5)

  • Jls P.

    Best crabs ever. Just get some of the largest they have and pick less and enjoy. This is my ALL time favorite crab place. We travel from VA to come here and use it as the goal standard for all others crabs.

    (5)

  • Pati E.

    Visited on a Saturday afternoon. We were seated quickly but took a while for someone to come over and take our drink order. Decided to go for the AUCE crab #1. Crabs were hot, mixed small & medium, plentiful...but every other crab I tried was bad (mushy/hollow). The she crab soup was so bland/watered down. The fries, hush puppies, cole slaw and corn were good but took forever to get a refill on that. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with service or food. Disappointed based on the reviews here.

    (2)

  • Jayne S.

    Not impressed with Mays. Went there last night. Very crowded and loud, which I don't really mind too much. Waitress was rude when my son hammered the table with a crab mallet. He is 21 months, the restaurant was super loud! Normally not something I tolerated but we had to wait 30 min extra for a grilled cheese sandwich for him after our steam pot came out! Hard to entertain a 21 month old. It's just a grilled cheese, shouldn't take 30 mins! Waitress very rude about the grilled cheese and didn't check on drinks. Overall not a great experience! And we are not picky people! We will try somewhere else!

    (2)

  • Ronan M.

    Great crabs this past weekend.

    (4)

  • Marley D.

    I appreciate May's for what they do. They're like most family run restaurants in Frederick, a little outdated; could use some new paint but the food they serve is consistent. First off, I'd deff reccomend just getting the All you Can Eat; so much more worth it for your money unless you don't plan on crab binging! Lol the AYCE is only small/medium crabs. There's different options of AYCE that one can choose from. (#1 is crabs, corn, fries, "crab" soup. The more you go up the more it includes, such as snow crabs, oysters, clams, mussels and such) in my experience the only really fresh seafood here is snow crab legs and the crabs. Every time I order the AYCE with other options it's never fresh.. Clams and mussels are decent depending on the season. Not much to complain about at May's it's your typical crab house! They also serve beer by the bottle and pitchers!

    (4)

  • Rick P.

    The quintessential crab shack. Good service, fun environment, great crabs. Like being in the shore without the drive. Roll up your sleeves! Prices are OK (you are eating seasonal seafood). Only problem I've ever had is that the place is always packed. I guess I'm not the only person that likes this one.

    (4)

  • Brandy V.

    Yelpers seemed to think this was a four out of five, and even The front desk clerk at the hotel raved about May's... However for the price, the wait, and the quality of the food I can't say I was that impressed. By the time I got my seafood platter some of my food was cold and even undercooked. On the seafood platter I got Fish, scallops, stuffed shrimp, and a crab cake with a side of steamed broccoli and hush puppies($35). The fish, the scallops, the stuff shrimp, and the crab cake were all seasoned the same - very bland. The Broccoli was undercooked and the hush puppies were cold. I would say your best bet here is to order either the crab legs or the full crabs FRESH STEAMED, and forget everything else on the menu. B

    (3)

  • Ann E.

    The crabs last night were terrible. Absolutely nothing inside. We used to frequent Mays before moving to Arizona. We were really looking forward to the crabs but very disappointing last night.

    (2)

  • Ryan K.

    Wow. This place is pretty awesome! Service was AWESOME! Quick, nice, easy going, food is amazing! I had the all you can eat #3 which was Jumbo crab legs all u can eat, all u can eat shrimp- 2-kinds fried oysters, fried or steamed clams, Maryland crabs, and more. All was amazing! The food is prepared fresh and brought out- not like all u can eat buffet. Crab legs had a lot of meat! Everything else was prepared excellently! Price was fair. It was waaaaay better than a lot of seafood places at the beach I go to! I would highly recommend this place to anybody that loves quality seafood!! If I could I would give it 11 stars!

    (5)

  • Sandy K.

    Ok,, its noisy, it's crowded, but why is that a bad thing? To me it's not, but how can anyone complain bout hot spicy crabs and cold beer??

    (5)

  • Audrey W.

    Our favorite place for maryland crabs in town.

    (4)

  • Tirza F.

    Awesome crabs that are hot and plentiful!

    (5)

  • Mike T.

    The best ever from crab soup to crab cakes scallops and shrimp the meal was fantastic and the service equally as good. I highly recommend this place.

    (5)

  • Tony P.

    Great food and comes out quick - you're not waiting long at all. Expensive, but it's to be expected with a good seafood place. Nice relaxed and loud environment. Best place in Frederick as far as I know to get crabs and a cold beer!

    (4)

  • Gary M.

    This place is great. There's an indoor section and a large covered outdoor pavilion. They keep the fans going and there's always a breeze. The food was quick and great. Many AYCE options and easy cleanup with table side trash cans.

    (5)

  • Cynthia L.

    Feigning for (good) crab is never a good thing. Because this place is so much closer than driving to BMore or the pier downtown, we had to try this place one more time. I don't know about you, but I always get the AYCE crabs thinking (like the Asian that I am) that it's more worth the money... but then you find that between 2 people, you can only eat a dozen and a half pitiful crabs and you wish you would've just opted for a dozen large or jumbo crabs. Everything we had this time came out decent quick and hot (hot soup, hot fries, hot hush puppies, hot corn). The most important part was that the crabs came out fresh and hot, tons of meat and not punny-like crabs like when you go to most AYCE crab places. I haven't tried anything else here, but I think you're good if you stick to what you know will be their bread & butter: crabs. *Parking is super limited, but there's more seating inside than there is parking outside (looks are deceiving) *No reservations taken anymore. We got there at 4pm to avoid a wait and service was great, but by the time we left, there was a wait and every waiter/waitress seemed stressed. *Coming here with a big party isn't a great idea because you will be here for forever.

    (4)

  • Keith S.

    Went to May's on Saturday with the family (10 of us) and must say I was disappointed. Two in the group ordered the # 2 crab special which came out rather quickly however the rest of the group had to wait 40 minutes to get their dishes. After about 15 minutes I started picking off my wife plate who I guess you could call one of the lucky ones because she was one of the two who received her plate promptly. The crabs were pretty good however the rest of the dish not so much. The French fries were cold and bland, hush puppies bland, steamed shrimps were over cooked and mushy, fried shrimp heavily breaded and flavorless, steamed rubber bands oh sorry I meant to say clams were nothing to speak of. Come to think of It I really don't have any thing good to say about this place besides I enjoy the cold beer and long Island ice tea. In fact I think it was those two items that got me through the whole experience without snapping on management. Thank goodness they sale alcohol at this place.

    (2)

  • Marie M.

    About what you would expect from looking at the outside. Unless you're coming here for the all you can eat steamed crabs, go to Red Lobster. The good: fresh-brewed sweet tea, baked potato, broccoli, and salad were good. Needs improvement: server was young, inattentive, and uninformed. We had to ask for everything - crab crackers (which they didn't have), melted butter, napkins, appetizer plates, lemon... "Famous" crab cakes were good- hardly any filler, but unseasoned, so missing flavor. First plate of snow crab legs were cold. Returned them and got a fresh batch that were hot. My husband said the cole slaw was bad and he exchanged it for the hush puppies, which were okay. They're kind of dry with a sandy, crunchy coating. I'd like them better if they had a dipping sauce. For a place that charges $25-30 a dinner, I think they could afford to upgrade the VFW dining tables and chairs, and cheap flatware (that couldn't even stand up to mashing a baked potato without bending). They could maintain the traditional "quaint," noisy atmosphere and still make some needed improvements. Overall, we'll stick with Red Lobster where the servers are professional and work hard to please, the food is consistently very good, the seating is comfortable and the atmosphere is nice and updated, with multi-generational, pleasant music playing.

    (3)

  • Nikki V.

    This was a first for us. We ordered the seafood platter and shared it. It came with crab cake, stuffed shrimp, flounder and scallops. Ooh an hush puppies....those were not good. Everything else was great. My daughter had the deep fried chicken. ..can't go wrong on chicken right. Lol the place was nice and the waitress was excellent. She definitely knew the menu and helped out with some choices. Next time we going to hit the all you can eat crabs.... maryland style. :)

    (4)

  • Neena R.

    We did not get AYCE because it ends up being more work for the same amount of food/money. Instead, we split a dozen large crabs (market price was better than other places we've had recently) and most of the dozen were meaty (and delicious!) 4 or so were light and practically meatless though. Steamed shrimp and fries were tasty. Service was great. On a busy night, we were told the wait would be an hour to an hour and a half -- we didn't wait for more than 30 minutes!

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    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 : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

May’s Restaurant

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