This is a great place for anyone, not just seafood fans. They have Barbecue, Grilled Cheeses, Burgers and Sandwiches too. So there is more to this place than it first leads on. Service was decent, very quiet when we came in on a Sunday night. Had a Barbecue Brisket sandwich and fries. Not a really big portion for the price, but it certainly had quality in the taste and really that's worth paying for in the end. Their homemade sauces tasted really good as well, I used their Carolina Sauce. The great thing about their desserts is they serve homemade pies. You can get them by the slice or order a whole one to take home. Sadly, as much as I had my hopes pinned on a slice of blueberry a la mode they were out. But I will be coming back as long as they have it next time. My friends and I loved the food overall. I could certainly see myself eating here regularly especially because its within walking distance. Update: Since then I have returned here, The blueberry pie is truly excellent.and the platters are huge and truly worth the value. They have some of the best mac n cheese I've tasted and they put the garlic in garlic mashed potatoes. The sandwiches may not be much but if you spend the extra money on a platter you get more food than you could ever ask for. Also the management is extra friendly and attentive. They even held a customer appreciation night with a free buffet. This place is definitely worth the visit.
(4)
Zee B.
Service was much better than the food. Restaurant was practically empty on a weekday night in January. This was the only place we could find serving steamed crabs. Started with crab soup and crab dip, both were fine. The crabs were huge and of course, very expensive. They were OK--there's just something about eating crabs in January that makes then seem tastier than they actually are. Also ordered a portobello mushroom sandwich which was almost burned and tough; couldn't finish it. If not for the super-friendly and attentive service, this would be 2 stars.
(3)
Kathy S.
Terrible service . Ordered a beer waitress never came back. After 15 minutes we left.
(1)
David G.
Let me start by saying I have never in my life sent a dish back. Im not picky or uptight in the least. My wife and I, along with another couple decided to eat at S & J Crab Ranch, as its one of the few places in Towson we have never tried. Two of us ordered baby back ribs. Now I have had ribs hundreds of times in my life, in all different preparations, so I feel like I know what makes ribs good or bad. Upon picking up the rack it was stiff and I could not pull it apart. I took the included steak knife to it and with some effort cut a portion. I took one bite and spit it back into my napkin. It was gross. Under their foul tasting sauce (and yes, I understand Carolina Style is vinegar based, it was still bad. I genuinely though it was spoiled) and (which was clearly added after cooking) was a cold dry rub the consistency of wet sand, and under that was dried out tough meat. Our friend (who is the general manager of a major downtown restaurant and has 15 years in the business) tried his and agreed they were inedible. The waiter stopped by to ask if everything came out ok. I said nothing and was just going to stay quiet and not eat it. However on his next check in, my table had encouraged me to politely send them back, which I did. This brought the manager over who inquired as to the problem. Quickly our effort to politely and discreetly return our ribs was becoming confrontational. This man who the waiter later told us is one of the owners, kept returning to the table and making our entire party uncomfortable. He told us he took our food to the back and tried them and they were perfectly fine. He was now essentially arguing with us. He was able to cut into them fine. To which my friend finally replied, "right, that's the problem, you needed a steak knife to eat ribs". I'm sorry but the only acceptable response from a restaurant manager in this situation is "I'm sorry to hear that, what can I do", not to repeatedly argue with your guests. At this point we just wanted to leave and asked for the check. Which came promptly, thankfully minus the ribs, but with an 18% gratuity already added on. My friend (the restaurant manager) called our waiter back to ask why a gratuity had been added to a party of 4? He said to our waiter, "did you do this because you thought we'd stiff you over the returned food? We know it wasn't your fault and would have tipped your our standard 20%." The waiter replied that he saw it, and it was not him, but the owner who added it. Looking back on the night we should have seen this coming as we watched him micromanage his hostess and turn the request for a high-chair for our friends son into a big musical chairs production. This guy has no business being on the floor in the front of the house. If you're the owner that's great, go sit in the back and count your receipts, but stay the hell away from your patrons, if you can't be a gracious host.
(1)
Jen M.
This is a solid spot in a Towson food scene that can range from low quality frozen chain eateries to really expensive frozen chain eateries (seriously - how is Cheesecake Factory still in business?). S&J has weathered it's growing pains and is becoming the go-to for folks who want strong drinks, good food, and cold beer. This is not a college kid pub that will sling $1 Boh's and half prize mozzarella sticks. S&J has a solid menu with a variety of offerings - the crab mac and cheese is one of the best in Baltimore. There's a brisket cheesesteak that is one of the best hidden treats around. The crabs are succulent and the friendly staff will pull the butcher's paper out for you even if you're sitting at the bar. So there's a nice, mellow vibe, friendly staff, solid whiskey selection, and huge portions. And crabs. And cold beer. This is a spot that is worth the trek to Towson.
(4)
Diana K.
Solid food , good portions, ok service. Fits in nicely with the rest of the restaurants in Towson.
(4)
Spencer S.
Surprisingly darn good! I had the smoked brisket cheesesteak and it was crazy good, as were the sweet potato fries. Good mix of bar/restaurant atmosphere too. Apparently they serve actual steamed crabs also, and they have some picnic tables outside for when it warms up. I'll most likely be back soon.
(4)
Pat M.
I've dined/lunched at S&J Crab Ranch around a half a dozen times or so now, and figure it earns a good 3.75 or so, rounded to a 4. Service is usually fairly good and reliable, and I've never experienced a long wait or a "I'm so pissy because I have to work but don't want to" staffer. Instead, the staff from top to bottom always seems friendly and efficient. The food has been pretty solid overall, with a fairly good selection. I've pretty much stuck to sandwiches myself, and have never disliked anything. The closest thing I've had to disappointment is their beef/pork/bbq sandwiches, which I expected better things from based on their price. The meats just aren't anything to write home about... tasty enough, but texturally a little lacking. S&J follows suit with many other places by making several bbq sauce options available at the table-- a good thing. Bother their fries (standard and sweet potato) are pretty good. On the bar side of things my opinion is a bit more limited, as I've only been there once for a happy hour get together. I've been there more often for lunch during the work day, and though a beer or two would probably help my afternoon work performace IMMENSELY (right?!), I alas have to resist imbibing! They seem to have a fair selection of draught beers, including the standards and at least one or two from in or close to the craft brew realm. Overall, S&J is one of the better options for a moderately priced meal in Towson, and worthy of return visits.
(4)
Nicole M.
I am just going to give y'all a complete rundown on my experience and S & J Crab Ranch. I usually do not go into this much detail, but... Here it goes: I originally wanted to try out S&J because of how close it is to my house and the reviews courtesy of my fellow Yelpers. Even though this restaurant is so close that I can walk to, we decided to drive on this particular evening in January and did not find trouble with parking. It was 8pm on a Monday. My hubby and I opted to sit in the dining room. I was surprised by how small it was. It was, however, quite charming with the different type of fences posted upon the wall. I was a little put off of the VERY loud music that was playing (pop punk bands like Sum41) but whatever. It's 8pm, I guess the restaurant was just trying to cater to the bar goers rather than the dining room customers at this point in the evening. It was "choose your own seat" so we picked a table close to a flat screen towards the entrance of the room. It took a little time for the waitress to notice we were even there. When she did come to greet us, she brought menus and took our drink order. She came back pretty quickly with our waters and we ordered the Crab Mac n Cheese as an appetizer. I really wanted to try the Crab Dip but my hubby insisted that we get the Mac n Cheese, so Mac n Cheese it is! The owner came over and made small talk and told us to enjoy some comfort food and to come back soon. I thought that was nice of him. Anyways, the Crab Mac n Cheese was great!! (See photos) The crumbly topping added just enough crunch and the cheese sauce was smooth and had a very distinct flavor of a few different cheese types blended together. The owner stopped by our table again, this time to ask how the Mac n Cheese was. We both replied "amazing!" right away. We both then decided on the Cream of Crab soup because after all, what is better than Cream of Crab on a cold, winter evening? Well let me tell you, ANYTHING would have been better than this. We were both so disappointed by this soup. It was the worst Cream of Crab soup either of us have ever had, and believe me, as native Eastern Marylanders, we've had our share of pretty much everything crab. First of all, it was brown (huh?) and appeared to be sitting out for a while. (See photos) I took one small bite, looked up, and the first thing I said was "it tastes like alcohol". I'm not sure if they put some kind of whiskey in it for flavor, but the flavor of alcohol overwhelmed the soup. It was luke warm at best, lumpy, and seriously lacking crab. My hubby refused to eat it, but I wanted to give it another chance, so I took a few more bites. I immediately regretted it. Like I said, the only crab in it was small slivers of backfin and ugh, the list could go on and on. Maybe I just got the soup on a "bad night" because some reviews rave about it, or maybe those Yelpers just haven't tasted what REAL Maryland Cream of Crab tastes like. Who knows. It took our waitress forever to come back to our table... which was odd because the dining room side of the restaurant was pretty dead. She eventually did come by and I explained to her how my husband did not like the soup at all and we wanted it taken off the bill because he only took one bite. At this point, after all the waiting around, we were in S&J for like an hour. She left and then after a few minutes returned and said "He would like to know if we can just give you a to-go bowl of the Maryland Crab instead of removing the Cream of Crab from the check". Who is he? Is he the owner? The owner was around plenty of times before this but couldn't come to the table to resolve the issue? Ok, whatever, we just wanted to get out of this place at this point. She brought us the to-go bowl, and our check. It came to $25. I left her a tip well over 20% because even though she was kind of slow, she was very nice and it wasn't her fault the soup was horrible. I wish I knew her name because she was a nice girl. The two stars are for the fun trivia game that S&J was playing on the flat screen tv that night which kept us slightly occupied during the long periods of nothingness and for our waitress being understanding about the situation even though it was beyond her control. The Maryland Crab is currently sitting in the fridge. I'm too scared to try it and my stomach hurts after eating there. I don't recommend this place and we will probably not be returning.
(2)
Mark F.
Terrible service, unprofessional management. The food was not what I expect it to be. I ask for something else and the manager gotten rude, raised his voice and said he wasn't wasting his food. I'm never coming back to this restaurant or would I ever recommend anyone to this restaurant. STAY AWAY
(1)
Kerry D.
I was pleasantly surprised by our lunch at the Crab Ranch. From the outside, I wasn't very hopeful and wanted to go across the street- but my sister-in-law thought bbq sounded good, so we went in- and the food was great. I had the tuna melt (recommended by the server) w/hot, fresh fries. My sil had the pulled pork and it was also delicious. The portions were generous and the server was friendly. Great little lunch spot.
(4)
D C.
Came during happy hour and had the 1/2 price appetizers. We got the crab Mac and cheese, ahi tuna, half a dozen large crabs, and a shrimp grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. Wow. Everything was so good. Mac and cheese was filled with crab and a huge portion. I have never had a grilled cheese that was as good as this one. Huge chunks of shrimp. Tons of tomato and onions. Crabs were yummy and easy to eat. Ahi tuna was good but paled in comparison to the rest of the meal. It's a good, light appetizer, though. Service was exceptionally friendly, personable, and quick. If we lived here, we'd be regulars.
(5)
Diane S.
Delicious crab dip. Friendly service. Lost our crab order. After an hour, I inquired about steamed crabs. Was told there was a problem with their printer... crabs would be another 20 minutes. When crabs came out, they were bad. Was not charged for crabs and they deducted a beer off our check. They tried hard, but fail miserably.
(2)
Meghna A.
To diners: A couple of months ago when my Husband and I dined at S&J, the Cream of Crab soup contained very little crab, which I wrote in my review about. Looks like they took the criticism well, coz since then they have always always loaded the soup with crab meat. The soup is a must try( a tip- add a little of the Old Bay seasoning to it to break the monotony).. The steamed shrimp sauteed in Old Bay with onions is a good dish- perfectly cooked shrimp with just the right seasoning.. You should try the Bread pudding as well. The clarified butter sauce poured on it just makes it heavenly!! Dear Owners: Appreciate you guys reading all our reviews and doing the needful. It shows us you value our opinion!!
(5)
Kippy P.
Been here two times. I'm glad I gave it a second try. I think it is all about knowing what their strengths are and sticking to certain things. Both times we have sat at a booth in the bar. It is comfortable, lots of flat screen TVs and gets a good crowd during Friday Happy Hour. The first time we ordered the pulled pork nachos and wings. Everything was fresh on the nachos and they were good. The pulled pork was ok (keep in mind I am a BBQ snot) and the wings were good. We shared the ribs (they were ok). The mac n cheese and potato salad were great! We left thinking it was ok, nothing special we wouldn't rush back. So then a month later I am in the mood for crabs and I heard people say that they had decent crabs (you don't always feel like driving to Costas)! So we decided to give it a whirl. We ordered the crab soup- cream and reg mixed- delicious! And the crab dip- equally as good! The waiter was nice enough to bring out the Large, Extra Large and Jumbo's to show me. We decided on the Jumbo's. The crabs were perfectly seasoned and fantastic! Both of the owners came by to introduce themselves and make sure everything was good (which was nice). We had a great meal and will definitely be back for crabs soon!
(4)
Chandra O.
Stopped by today to try one of their $7.00 lunch specials YES $7! You get sandwich, fries and drink. Oh and a pickle slice! I love that and many places have stopped adding pickle slices so I was definitely pleased. Anyway I ordered the jerk chicken wrap...oh so good and tasty! However I left my wallet there :-(. I was frantic when I realized it hours later. Called and they had it safely put away for me. AWESOME! This was my second time there and both times I've enjoyed the food so will be back.
(4)
Becca H.
Awesome food. Went here for Baltimore county restaurant week and I was impressed. The service was good, crab dip was excellent, the crab cake had more crab that fillers, the filet was cooked perfectly, and the peach cobbler was not overwhelmingly sweet. I will definitely come back one day.
(4)
Andrew L.
This place was great! Great food and service and fair prices. I recommend it to anyone venturing out to the Towson area
(4)
Piyumi R.
We had a great time when I went with my friends. Very good food.
(4)
Amy P.
Went there for an informal happy hour, had a great time. Tap menu is a little limited, but they more than make up for it with the food. The crab dip is the best I have ever had. Also had a pulled pork sandwich and it was just perfection, plus it came with 3 or 4 sauces you could choose from.
(4)
Joseph M.
Being from CA, I haven't had Maryland steamed crab since I was 7 years old but the smell and taste is so unique, it has stuck in my memory for the last 23 years. When they rolled out the paper and brought out the crab, I spent about 10 minutes just inhaling and recalling lost memories. Delicious and great service. The biggest problem, parking sucks and I got towed because apparently the parking lot to the side of the restaurant is for a club of douche clowns. Good thing I was high from crab.
(4)
Jean G.
Went for dinner this evening...waited in a very crowded front area for someone to add our names to a wait list for a nearly empty restaurant. A blond hostess seemed to be the only person doing the job of 3 people...and not doing any of them well. She had many opportunities to let all of the at least 24 people in the waiting area know that she would be right with us but instead she just seemed do her very best to ignore all of us while slowly going on her way. This may not have been the most egregious of faults I've encountered dining out...except that right next to hostess desk was a sign stating that an 18% gratuity would be added to each table. We couldn't get our names added to a waiting list after waiting at least 15 minutes, or be acknowledged for that matter, but if and when we were finally seated we would have gratuity added to our check?!?!?!!?!? Hmmmm. There was a sign pointing the the bar area saying to seat yourself. My party went upstairs where we encountered the very unfriendly hostess who said that there were no seats available in the bar area. Asked if we could add our name to the wait list I was told that she was too busy taking care of reservations to have my name added to the wait list and I could sit at the bar. Not an option with my 8 year old son. On the way out I noticed at least 2 other parties exit the restaurant. Not sure how a small business can survive ignoring clients. I won't be back.
(1)
Kate P.
First of all I will start out by saying that I will NEVER return to this establishment or EVER recommend it to anyone. A few friends and I visited S&J this past Saturday and the experience was terrible from the very beginning to the very end. We stood at the front desk for about 3 minutes before we were even greeted and after that we were told every five minutes that it would be another five minutes before we could be seated (this lasted for about 20 or 30 minutes). I understand that they were a little busy, it was a Saturday; we should have been told there was a wait but instead we were given empty promises. Once we were finally seated and our food came out we were even more disappointed. My friends and I shared the pulled pork nachos which were actually pretty good and two of us got the cream of crab soup. I took a few bites and I can honestly say it's the worst I've ever had; there were more shells than crab meat and the it was very bland, what's cream of crab soup without Old Bay? We originally came here for crabs but we ended up not ordering any because they only had x-larges left and they were extremely expensive. I could have went to a crab shack and paid half the price. So instead I got a Ceasar Salad, the dressing had a really terrible taste to it, so I also only had a few bites of that. Now for the kicker, my friend ordered the Filet and a double order of french fries, turns out you get screwed when you go to S&J... there was literally a screw in his french fries. We spoke to the manager or owner or whatever he was and he didn't even offer to take if off the bill. At first all he wanted to do was "buy" us dessert or a drink and when he saw that we were very displeased and not interested he offered a gift certificate. Now we thought maybe he would give a gift certificate and take it off the bill, but no; the bill came and the filet was still on it (not to mention he didn't even tell our waitress, who was very sweet, about the issue we had.) We had to practically beg him to let us use the gift certificate (that didn't even cover the full cost of the meal) he was giving us on the bill and he finally caved after he realized we were not paying for that particular portion of the meal. Terrible customer service on his part, and I work in retail so I know how it should be. The only interest he had in giving us a gift certificate was to get us back to the terrible restaurant to spend more of our money on some terrible food.
(1)
George S.
I was looking for a place in/near Towson to have maryland crabs and found this place on yelp. Even though they didn't have great reviews, only good things were said about the crabs so I decided to give it a shot. This place has a nice ambience and is much bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Three of us went on a wednesday night and ordered fried catfish appetizers, 1/2 rack baby back ribs dinner and 1 dozen Large crabs. It was very reasonably priced. All that food plus 4 draft beers came out to only $86 after taxes. The fried catfish was an excellent starter. However, the baby back ribs was not so good compared to most other rib joints I've been to.Although their spicy BBQ sauce was very good, the meat was just not as tender as I would expect. But the main star of the show was the large blue crabs and they were amazingly good. I heard the table next to us rave about them as well. We had Sherman as our waiter and he did an great job. He was very attentive and provided exceptional service. Bottom line, other than the ribs, it was a great meal and I left satisfied. I'll definitely go back in the future.
(4)
Sherri L.
I've been to this establishment many times and was always pleased with the food, however a few weeks ago my husband and I purchased extra large steamed crabs from the crab ranch and found that a few were mushy (keep in mind that these crabs were not cheap). My husband called the ranch and spoke to one of the owners who told him to bring the crabs back. Well he did. When he arrived the owner proceeded to put his hands in the bag to pull out the crabs! Wait did he put on any gloves, Wash his hands, use sanitizer...NO! My husband was stunned and furious. He asked for a refund, but was told he would be refunded only for the three mushy crabs not for the ones that he had put his nasty, filthy hands all over. His logic was that you don't eat the shell! Well my fellow crab eaters as you know the seasoning on the shell is part of the crab eating experience and so what if I never eat the shell or taste the seasoning, this man thought it was ok to put his hands in my food! Needless to say we will never go there again! Fellow crab lovers beware! Ps. I give this establishment "0" stars, but the program makes me give it one. Sherri L.
(1)
Megan J.
The crab mac and cheese is awesome and I am a picky mac and cheese person! The crab are very good too! The peach cobbler is very good too with big portions for the desserts. Parking is hard to find but do-able.
(4)
Deryk L.
great atmosphere! the service was decent though my server seemed new she did a great job answering my questions. i ordered the brisket cheesesteak--never heard of it before so i was pumped! it was ok--the fries ROCKED! overall i was pleased with everything--made for a nice place for dinner for two.
(4)
Jason P.
Apparently, the 4th time is the charm. I had a rocky start with S&J Crab Ranch. But I saw the potential of the place and desperately wanted to have a good experience with them. All these experiences are with "carry out" orders. The ribs are delicious. The restaurant is very nice on the inside. Potato salad is good. Fries are good (though they get a little soggy in the carry out container). Also, sometimes they put the food on top of the fries which soaks them. 1. Called ahead and ordered crabs. Was quoted a price (which included a Facebook 'promotion') and placed the order for crabs. I came to the restaurant ready to pay that price. A different person who rang me up said that was the wrong price. He gave me a slight discount - but did not honor the price his employee quoted. 2. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant to find no one at the front hostess stand. Stood there for a few minutes until I finally decided to go to the bar to get someone. Discovered that's where you pickup the food. (There was still no one at the front hostess stand as I left) 3. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant (this time knowing to go to the bar). There were 2 female bartenders who were apparently irritated that they needed to retrieve my food from the kitchen. They just gave me attitude and a snicker. 4. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant to someone at the front hostess stand who had my food ready to go.
(4)
Kelly F.
We Stumbled upon this place after leaving the Towson mall. I AM SO IMPRESSED!! From the service to the ambiance to the food.... I can not say enough good things. This place is warm, clean and crisp. Its what you want a restaurant to be. Great bar, very friendly staff and a variety of items on the menu. We sat in the bar and had fantastic service, when our server appeared to be handling a large party two other servers came to check on us! We started with steamed shrimp and grilled southwest oysters, delicious! For entrees I had the crab cake platter which was fantastic, the crab cake was filled with lump crab and came with two sides , I had baked beans and mac and cheese both were great and tasted very homemade. My girlfriend got the Brisket Platter and had the potato salad three ways which was likely the best potato salad we ever had besides our own. After we were already stuffed to the gils we split the bread pudding and it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Our server Kara was excellent! she knew so much about the menu and had great suggestions. I wouldn't change a thing about this place and I'm so glad we found it! We had a horrible dining experience last night at a place called IGGIES and S&J CRAB RANCH redeemed our weekend with a great night, great food, very friendly staff and overall nice time, thank you!!
(5)
AK S.
Cannot believe this place is literally right down the street from my house and it has taken me 4 months to check it out. Of course once I did visit I returned for happy hour the very next week! The bartenders and wait staff could not be nicer. They have a great happy hour deal and everything I've tried so far off of the menu has been very good. Would definitely recommend for a date night, family birthday dinner, or just a nice evening out with friends!
(5)
Lucy R.
Great crabs! Excellent deal, especially on Monday nights, when they are on special. We had a dozen, and every one was big and heavy - Larges that could easily have been Extra Larges some other places. The seasoning was good - tasty but not crusted with spice. They came out fresh and hot - so hot we couldn't even handle them at first. Nice place: comfortable, friendly service, and while there are many TVs they were turned down low enough that we could ignore them. Owner came by to make sure everything was OK. Decent selection of draft and bottled beer. Only reason I didn't give it five stars was that the non-crab eating members of our party were a bit underwhelmed - my husband's blackened chicken on pasta had a cheese sauce that was too rich for his taste and also very spicy - apparently had the blackening spice mixed in. Another party member's steamed broccoli came swimming in butter. When I asked my husband If he'd come here again, his response was "Sure, if you're having crabs. Otherwise not so much." (He's allergic to shellfish.) Desserts were OK - bread pudding was very good, but portion was too big even for two people (I know, not really a problem.) The pies, on the other hand, were pedestrian at best. The peach cobbler was very tasty. Easy street parking, at least on a week-night.
(4)
Dan W.
Went with a friend on a Wednesday night, around 6, the restaurant was dead except for a party in a back room. I am cautious about eating in empty restaurants, but I figured I'd chance it.Glad I did. We sat outside, waitress was awesome, brought out wings, etc. quickly. The shrimp were good, wings were good, crab cakes solid, and the peach cobbler was warm and awesome too. My only complaint is that the prices are steep where they don't need to be - $8 for five wings, $20 for a pound of shrimp, but other than that, I am a buyer and would probably the same food again. The ambiance of sitting outside on a nice night in Towson, with very good seafood, was worth a few extra bucks. By the time we left the bar and restaurant had filled up. I plan to return.
(4)
Matt B.
Great food. Everything I have tried here has been very tasty. The interior is really nice and clean with plenty of good tv's around. Service has been mostly good. Once or twice I felt the bartenders were rude or ignoring us, but in general I recommend coming and checking it out for yourself.
(4)
Swivelneck D.
I never got to eat here and am rating this place on service (or lack thereof). If you agree that restaurants should not be held accountable for closing 60-90 minutes before their posted hours, skip my review. First, I have owned businesses (several) so believe me when I say that I understand the cost of employees and running a business. Having said that, it is unacceptable to repeatedly shut down the kitchen as early as this place does. If you are consistently not getting the business you need at certain hours, it is up to you to change your hours. I have tried to go here twice. The first time, me and 3 others drove here at 8:45pm to eat. Their hours are listed as 10pm that night. When we arrived, they immediately told us the kitchen was closed. We left. Then last night I stopped by on the way home with 2 people to eat there, or at least get carryout if they kitchen was in the process of shutting down. It was 9:05pm when I arrived. The bartender was the only person in sight. He was on the phone and, despite my making it VERY clear that I wanted his attention, he continued to speak on the phone with whoever for at least 6-7 minutes. When he hung up, he said the kitchen was closed. I left and said I would not be back. Neither time did I even remotely get an apology.
(1)
Martha M.
Great crabs and ribs, and friendly, professional service. A terrific restaurant in Towson.
(4)
Ed S.
My wife and I went here on the spur of the moment and we're glad we did. We just returned to the East Coast after living on the West Coast and Midwest and I decided I wanted to get some crabs. It wasn't the season for Maryland crabs, but S&J had some others I could try. I ordered six large-size crabs (probably three more than I needed) and some Maryland crab soup while my wife had a blackened chicken pasta and a salad. We sat outside, which was very nice, and I went to work. I'd never had this type of crab before, so it was nice when the waiter asked and then the manager walked me through opening the crab for eating. It was very good! They were steamed nicely and all six stayed hot while I spent about an hour de-shelling them and eating. My wife enjoyed the ambiance and talking to myself and the waitstaff while watching me consume the crabs slowly. Trust me, she thinks the experience is fun. ;-) If you don't like Old Bay Seasoning, you might want to avoid the seafood at S&J (they have what look like wonderful ribs, too), but I like it so the crabs were great. My wife's blackened chicken was a little salty, but she said the pasta itself was nice. After the dining experience left us full, we somehow decided to try their dessert menu. It all looked very reasonably priced, so she had a peach cobbler while I ordered the bread pudding. The prices were no indication of size! These were HUGE and very good. I recommend sharing next time. We pretty much had to roll out of there. The waitstaff was very friendly, the area pleasant (parking was a bit of an issue, but there was a festival going on nearby), and I think sitting inside would have been nice, too. The food was very good: The chicken being a little salty was the only complaint. I very much recommend S&J and look forward to trying some of their other menu items.
(4)
Todd H.
I should have listened to the recommendation from my hotel. The service was slow and my grilled oysters we cold. I had one beer and wanted a few but the bartender was not even paying attention. I left him a $1 tip after paying for my $30 dinner while on business. I hope he gets the message.
(2)
Kevin Y.
friendly staff, decent food, inexpensive drinks. i am a fan. don't expect to see hot girls here though. it's more of a family place.
(3)
Brian S.
I had very poor service from the Crab Ranch. During a recent lunch, it took a half hour before I and my colleagues were served any food. It took an additional half hour before we received our checks. During a previous lunch, we had a server mix up or orders, mess up our checks, and complain about our group requesting separate checks.
(1)
Amanda T.
My sister and I dined at S & J this evening - she had purchased a Living Social coupon, and we decided to try it. The menu is very extensive. We asked the server what she recommended, and both of her recommendations were grand slams. Don't miss the St. Louis (I think that was it) ribs - delish. We also tried seafood appetizers: mussels and oysters. Both had fantastic flavor. The joint was hopping, service was very nice, and one of the owners stopped over to see how we enjoyed it. We had nothing but good things to say. Don't miss the desserts - we split a peach cobbler and it was DIVINE.
(4)
Katie S.
I went here with my husband and his mom. It sort of had that "just opened" restaurant feel, but everyone was very friendly and helpful. Two of us had the crabcakes and they were delicious! The pit turkey was so-so. The atmosphere was very comfortable/casual and the food was reasonably priced. Overall, I would recommend going here. The menu is huge and it has promise!
(4)
Eric D.
I had crabs here November 2012. The crabs were good and service was so so. I got on Yelp tonight and looked up the reviews. For what ever reason, I chose not to believe the reviews on service. To start the night, the waitress came promptly. She was very pleasant. We sat at the table at about 7:45. There was one waitress for about 5 or 6 tables. Beer selection was lacking. I like IPAs and she said they did not carry an IPA. Ugh! Beer selection is not her fault. We promptly placed an order for a dozen x-large crabs at $79 a dozen and my kids ordered ribs and a crab cake. The beer showed up promptly and it was very cold. 40 minutes later the ribs and crab cake showed up. 10 minutes later the crabs arrived. She placed the crabs down and I thought WOW these are x-large. They were medium to large. She ran over to the table as we were digging in to our crabs and said "oops these are for the table behind you and scooped up the plate of crabs and the ones we had started eating and said hurry I don't want the table next to you to see what just happened. Did I mention the table next to us sat down 10 minutes after us. The table next to us noticed the maneuver and as the waitress left we both said WTF. She came back and brought our crabs and compared them to the table next to us claiming the crab steamer screwed up. Very very awkward for both tables. She was very pleasant and moderately attentive so I tipped her 20%. It was the biggest waiting goat rodeo I ever experienced. Over all the crabs and the food were good. Service and the kitchen were slow and very disorganized. The tab was $127 bucks for 2 kids and 2 adults which is not chump change. Tip was $24. For $150 dinner I would expect a whole lot better. I don't think this review will amount to much because there is no way they can stay in business very much longer
(2)
F K.
Terrible, terrible service and customer service... Many excuses, but subpar effort to make things right. We waited for 45 minutes to get food that wasn't right (minor things wrong with the salad, an entirely wrong sandwich), and still wasn't right on the SECOND effort after waiting another 15 mintues! The food was good, but after the apology when asked what they would do to make it right, we were told we weren't charged for the drinks... Thanks for the free water! I won't be back.
(1)
Mikey B.
Very good Carolina pork sandwich and Brunswick stew. Yum
(5)
Brandon S.
Drove over an hour to get there and food was NOT good! My wife got chicken it was $18 and was so dry she only ate 2 bites and just threw it away. I got a BBQ chicken grilled cheese and it was okay. If had to have sat in the kitchen for 10 mins before they brought it out it was so cold. The best thing we got from here was the apple pie. I'm assuming they didn't make it.. I won't be back!
(1)
S J.
I remember reading a "coming soon" article about S&J Crab Ranch and I liked the initials so we gave it a try...the consensus is that we will not be back. I guess we should have known by the name "Crab Ranch" ...these words really don't go together and really nothing in this restaurant really goes together. We had steamed shrimp, crab dip, fish special, non memorable shrimp dish and something equally non memorable for our son. The crab dip was terrible - 75% of left when the server came to clear the appetizer plates and we told our server that it was not good at all but we are not the type of patrons to press the issue. The services was very good. The rest of meal was edible and we did not receive any "hardware store" items (see review below) in our meal but after all is said and done we look at our bill both said..."this was not worth it." Ultimately, you get the feel that this is a restaurant of compromise - it's like two lawyers got together to start a restaurant...one loved BBQ other loved seafood - neither knows how to open/run a restaurant and together they create something that never needed creating in the first place. Pass this one by and let it just go back to being just a bad dream where is should have stayed.
(2)
robert c.
ive been wanting to try this place so i did. relaxing friendly service. ordered the green tomato blt with basil mayo on toasted rye with sweet potato fries. EXCELLENT huge portions and very tasty. excellent plate presentation.
(5)
Mike W.
Been there twice! The second time was better than first!!
(3)
Taia C.
I had family here from out of town. They wanted crabs, so I used yelp to find S&J just a couple of blocks away. There was only one problem: they had NO crabs! We understood that it was because of the weather, but the kids were still very disappointed. The service was pretty good. i never got a refill, but i really didn't need it. Several of us had the cream of crab soup. It tasted pretty good, but had very little crab in it. The crab cakes, which many of us ordered as entrees, weren't what you would expect from a MD establishment. They don't use jumbo lump crabmeat and there is a lot of filler! :( We were told they were broiled but they looked and tasted fried to me. Not sure it would have mattered since it was more like a ball of crab stuffing than a crab cake. The mac n cheese was recommended by the waitress, but the mac n cheese (actually shells and cheese sauce) wasn't great. You'll love the green beans if you like them with a hint of garlic. I do so I loved them. I don't care what the other posts say, do not order dessert! We had the apple pie and the cobbler. Neither looked appealing and I wouldn't recommend either. The kids enjoyed the pony burger...maybe the rest of us should have gotten that!
(1)
Michelle N.
A fantastic local place to eat. We have been here two times and our waitress remembered us and welcomed us like VIPs the second time. The food is outrageously good, crabs were cooked perfectly with fantastic seasoning. The owners are crab distributers so they get the pick of the crop! The second time we ordered off the menu and everything was just as good as the crabs. This is now our new go to place. Love it and the staff!!!
(5)
Daniel P.
So its something new in Towson which is nice. I had a dozen raw oysters which were pretty good for $14. Also had the crab pretzel,which I was really excited for and it was just bland and mushy and dissapointing. It needed some seasoning and the pretzel could have baked a little longer. Nice people.
(3)
Kat L.
The crabs were delicious, but man, they've become expensive. I know there's a shortage now, but wow. One small critique. Luckily, they weren't busy, but I made reservations a week in advance through Yelp and got a e-mail confirmation. I called today to make sure they had crabs available. I mentioned that I had a reservation and they asked for my name to confirm. I got there on time, only to be welcomed by confused staff who couldn't find my reservation. I'm looking into a nearly empty restaurant as they do this. If it had been busy and I didn't get a table, I'd be furious. Just didn't make sense.
(4)
Natia J.
This rating is for poor service. I walked in during happy hour and this place was empty. I was the ONLY customer. I sat at the bar and tried to ordered my favorite wine or at least something close to it, but they did not have it. So, I asked for water. Then, I tried to place a food order. The bartender put in my order, but some lady (not sure if it is the owner or not) came over to me and stated I can only get the happy hour price if I buy a drink. There was no sign stating this... The bartendar replied stating well we don't have what she wants. The lady then stated okay well only two appetizers can be ordered at a time. There also was not a sign stating this... I then decided to pick up my purse and leave. Maybe the owner or crazy lady is racist or maybe she thought I had stupid stamped on my forehead. I see why the place was empty during happy hour. NOT RECOMMENDED
(1)
Christine D.
Wow was this bad! I'm not one to give negative review lightly but steamed crabs are expensive and when they are bad, damn, they're bad. We stopped here today after the towsontowne festival. I ordered 3 crabs, my husband got the brisket cheesesteak and our 7 yr old got the kids pizza. Their meals came out in about 20 minutes. Kinda ridiculous for what they got but we figured the crabs were holding it up. Nope, crabs came 10 mins LATER. This was not a busy time mind you! The brisket was fatty which my hubby hates but he said the flavor was good. My daughter couldn't even eat a bite of the $7 microwave kids pizza. It was not visually appealing or edible in any way. Now for the crabs. I ordered 3 of the xl crabs (which the server did not know the price of but we later found out we're $9.25 per crab). They were missing claws, not heavy and were the size of your average sm/med crab. Not being one to complain, I dug-in trying to make the best of it when an overwhelming smell of something burning came over me. It was the crabs!! I have no idea how you burn a steamed crab but they did it. The meat had a disgusting burnt taste not to mention they did not season the crabs AT ALL. I asked for real butter melted to dip them in and of course got the standard yellow liquid shortening crap. Overpriced food that wasn't even mediocre... What a waste of a nice night out.
(1)
Renee B.
I only stopped in here to pass some time waiting for another event I was due to be at 7pm. I came in right around 6pm. It was happy hour. I felt welcomed soon as I walked in the door. I sat at the bar. I had an apple martini that was delicious and I decided to order some crab macaroni and cheese. That too was delicious. I really had a nice time. I just wish I had more time that day. I can't wait to return. I need to check out the crabs.
(4)
Heather R.
Really loved the steamed crabs. Great prices n great service. Best place to sit in n eat crabs
(5)
Irina G.
This was my 3rd visit and I feel comfortable commenting on all aspects of their food. Crabs: 4 star-Good size. Really good seasoning... classic spice with a little extra course salt. We ordered a dozen and some were slightly overcooked... but just slightly. Appetizers: pulled pork nachos... yum! So yummy and a good size for sharing. Cream of Crab soup also very good. Good seasoning without too much salt from old bay and NOT shelly at all. Onion rings were also great. Only complaint here was the crab dip. Both times I got this is was cold and not mixed well. The seasoning was great. Plenty of crab. But they need to serve this in a better dish to heat through better and allow some of the cream cheese to melt. Would NOT recommend it... pic shows the globs of straight up cream cheese. Southern food: Eh... solid 3... some 4. brisket is salty and portion size was small. Pulled pork was pretty good. burger was decent and cooked correctly. Crab cakes and kids meals were solid as well. While crab cakes were not jumbo lump they were a good size, not a ton of filler, not shelly, and good seasoning. My daughter said the Mac and cheese was great... which is truly high praise from my picky eater. Service - OK. Friendly but not terribly attentive. Couldn't tell if that's because she was busy or bad. All in all decent and I would come back.
(4)
Kelly H.
I came here on a whim with my boyfriend on a Saturday night (around 9 PM). Our bartender Brooks was really cool and made the experience enjoyable from the start. He was very personable and took the time to talk to us a little bit, which is always nice. Just an observation: it was strange to us how dead the place was. I'm not sure if it's just a weird location or what, but we were of 4 parties in the restaurant (including patrons at the bar), and it was Saturday night! It was just a little unexpected. Another quick mention: there were really nice tvs above the bar, so I think this might be a good place to come and watch sports on a weeknight. The food was okay--my boyfriend had Maryland Crab Soup--not much crab. We split Pulled Pork Nachos which were pretty standard bar food. Not spectacular, but I would probably eat them again. We split a slice of apple pie for dessert, which was also pretty average. We are definitely foodies and none of the things we ordered wowed us; however, the service was excellent and might encourage us to come back again for a beer and maybe a snack.
(3)
Walter N.
In the mood for crabs, called ahead and was able to reserve some jumbos. Started off with absolutely fabulous cup of MD Crab Soup. Really tasty. Crabs came out huge and hot. Very tasty crabs which were really heavy. Finished it off with the peach cobbler. The only thing that keeps them from 5 stars is someone made a mistake and turned off the freezer which melted the ice cream. Great place with great service
(4)
Sam M.
Good start for my first visit. The service is friendly. Staff is concern about out enjoyment and our comfort. We ordered a "Lunchbox," which they aren't familiar with it; however, they made it after they asked about it -- it was perfect. The nacho appetizer is ginormous -- a meal in itself. The Maryland crab soup was very tasty. A friend ordered a 1/2 lb of shrimp, which was done well. I had the herb encrusted salmon with sweet potato fries, which was very good. Be sure to bring friends, family and the dog here. When leaving, the dog had its own pitcher... well, a pale of water, really.
(3)
Trae S.
Great spot to grab lunch or dinner in Towson. We had lunch there while up visiting family. My wife and I like to try out different restaurants while we are in town. The Crab Ranch didn't disappoint. Great crab dip. We split an order between the four of us and it was a nice way to start the meal. I had the oyster po' boy which came with a mound of nicely seasoned fries. The orange crush was also good; a good effort at a Baltimore favorite. I'd definitely stop by again while in Towson.
(4)
Kiauna B.
Great music-alternative & soft rock. Our server, Khalil, was wonderful They are very attentive & friendly. I will definitely come back when on that side of town. The food was good. Not a big fan of the onion rings, no real flavor on them. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Sherry J.
Met RJ's friends here for drinks on his birthday. There was a band playing, and the bartender was friendly and gave us great service. It's a fun place, and the owner's dog is adorable! I would love to try the menu.
(4)
Lisa R.
My husband and I went to the Crab Ranch for Valentine's Day, and had a really great experience. I usually go for happy hour, so this was my first experience with their dinner menu. The service was wonderful! Our server Brooks was very friendly and attentive, and the owner Jim greeted us and checked in with us during the meal to make sure everything was going well. We ordered the shrimp and grits and bacon wrapped shrimp appetizers and both were well prepared and flavorful. The center cut pork chop and buttermilk fried chicken entrees arrived quickly, and were equally tasty. I recommend the sweet potato fries as a side, and the bread pudding for dessert. The restaurant is spacious and inviting, and the staff really went out of their way to make our meal special. We're looking forward to our next trip to the Crab Ranch!
(5)
Dawn S.
Went for happy hour. They have good prices for happy hour. I got wings, crab dip & mussels. The wings were a little too salty & not cooked hard enough for me. The crap dip wasn't too bad.... it got better when I got to the bottom. The mussels were good and a great price $5. The bartender was friendly. The place was empty.
(3)
Tracey B.
Crab cake was mostly fillers Guacamole was not fresh and had a brown color to it. Broccoli was over cooked
(3)
Jen C.
Awesome steamed crab right in downtown Towson. My brother and I got a crab dip appetizer that was amazingly cheesy, with fresh and soft bread. And a half dozen order of crabs. The crabs were delicious with lots of spices on top. There's plenty of TVs to watch the games. Make sure to check at the bar for some happy hour specials. Also follow the restaurant on their Facebook or Twitter for nightly specials.
(4)
Jim H.
The bartender Sarah makes the best drinks with in this day is hard find. She actually puts a wedge of lime that looks like one. Not paper thin. She been courteous and even took some good natured sarcasm. Ordered an appetizer bbq shrimp. Came promptly cooked perfect. She even prompted conversation between the other 6 patrons at bar and before you knowing. We were buying each other drinks. She is an asset nice happy hour and specials. Reminds of a place where they all know your name. Cheers
(5)
Quintin P.
First couple of visits when they first opened - our experience and quality of food was great. Staff and management may have changed recently and it's now a disrespectful, zero organization, no service , forgetful establishment... I could go on but would rather not. For example, my wife and kids last month decided to dine outdoors. We were not the only tables outside. It took 27 mins to get water! In fact, the service was so bad, the other patrons and myself started to talk and mock this place. The server, when he finally arrived said ,"I don't even work here and was pulled in last minute, and am unfamiliar with menu." We complained to the manager and he didn't have clue and had no composure. Feedback to the owner, get your business in order, implement customer service, hire talent, and calibrate staff on what's important...the customer! You're a small business, service is key to survival. I will spread the word about this catastrophe, stay away !
(1)
Sara W.
Was hoping for some stellar crab cakes while visiting Baltimore, but this place did not deliver on that hope. First, the service was pretty terrible as I was ignored for about 10 mins. My crab cake had lots of shell bits and that turned me off pretty quick. The side of broccoli was over cooked, sweet potato fries were the highlight of the meal but that's not sayin much! Would not recommend at all.
(1)
Wufi D.
I ordered the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and the crab cheese dip. The service was good at 5.30pm. The food was bland and average for the price. Lets start with the salad... the roasted beets, goat cheese, apples, & lettuce was good... spring mix. The candy pecans were too sweet to go with the salad dressing... the dressing i thought was supposed to be lemon poppy vinegatette, but it tasted like straight honey.... to sweet and sticky! The salad dressing needed to compliment the salad better or they just should have used plain pecans.... or maybe both. The crab dip had a nice presentation but was very bland. First I added some pepper but had to pull out the big guns.... tobasco sauce! The service was super but the boring food brought the score down so low. I doubt i will ever come here for food again. Maybe the bar to watch sports.
(2)
Edward C.
First time we were there the food was good and service fair. Second time the food was only ok. Third time the food was cold, took over half an hour to come out, and service was poor, as if the waiter didn't want to be bothered. We don't plan to go back again.
(2)
John E.
My dad and I went up here to grab dinner one evening and the food was a really good and priced right on target. If you want quality food at a reasonable price this is the place to come. When we went it wasn't very busy, so we had very prompt service; not sure if it is busier on other nights of the week. I would definitely recommend ordering the crab dip, as it is not the cheap flavorless stuff you get at most places. Definitely not a very well known dining spot which is unfortunate considering how good the food and service is there.
(4)
Lisa S.
Wonderful food and attentive staff! It seemed like they were a little annoyed with us asking to watch a specific game and weren't thrilled when we used the yelp discount. Either way a nice experience.
(4)
Skylar S.
So....a group of my good buddy's decide lets try S&J's Crab shack. We get there and the smell of spice and sweet smoke draws us in. We take a seat and are met immediately by our friendly waitress. It takes me all of three seconds of glancing at the menu before I instantly know what I am ordering......the "Crab Ranch Burger". I thought at first this was a very strange combination that should never be allowed to coexist on a single burger, but at the very next moment, I thought to myself "wow this is genius". So when the waitresses came around to me, I placed my magical order. We waited close to an hour, which was very frustrating. The burger came out, and I was pissed. I didn't see no crab, or ranch!!!!! They had my order wrong!!! I'm not one to complain so I decided to sucked it up and eat this plain burger. What came next blew my f'ing mind...... I took my first bite, and the overwhelming flavor burst of fresh lump crab and creamy ranch hit my pallet. It was glorious!!!! They baked the crab and ranch INTO my burger! Who woulda thunk it?!! I could taste the brackish bay water in every bite. This is why I love a my Maryland home. Crab is what I live for. The ranch, OMG, the ranch MUST be made in house. So creamy, so delectable. My mom always told me "its what's on the inside that count" and boy she couldn't be more right. A crab and ranch stuffed burger delight!!! After the meal, I commented to the waitress what a genius idea this burger was. She looked at me strange, and stated the burger contained zero crab, or ranch. I laughed, as she was clearly a crazy hoe. I know what my buds tasted, and my buds don't lie. Thank you "crab ranch" burger. You are my world. TOTALLY worth the wait!!!
(5)
Asheley W.
I'm giving this place 4 stars because I can't give them 3.5. The good: -Solid food, good portions. The smoked pork BBQ is really delicious. The smokey flavor was enough without any sauce and that's the true test for me. Oysters were clean and briny, just the way they should be. Crab dip was delicious and not overly cheesy. -Attentive service with Jeremy behind the bar. We never had an empty drink and he was quick to take food orders. He made our Sunday football viewing experience more enjoyable. The bad (well, not that bad): The prices are honestly the only thing keeping this from being a solid 4 stars for me. Some of their specials are fantastic: $1 oysters during football games on Sunday, 1/2 price appetizers during weeknight happy hours, etc. But aside from that, I think most of the food (except for the BBQ) is pretty overpriced. My overall recommendation is to come here when they're offering specials of some sort. The food is good and the specials make it a great value.
(4)
Lily L.
Nicest people you will ever meet!! The owners were super nice and the staff was awesome! The fried green tomatoes were super yums and the crabs are huge!! So glad we chose this place to go to Maryland for crabs!
(5)
Mike P.
Another great find in Towson - great service, full bar and fun food. Dont forget to ask about the crabs, meaning full craps pick your-own type...they had the large, not the little small medium ones.
(5)
Kathea S.
I'm with Heather. Quite impressed by the whiskey knowledge of the guy bringing us our samples. He knew his stuff. Bonus points for the good crab dip. I'm super picky when it comes to crab dip, because I don't eat seafood. Good balance of cheese and crab. Had a great time on the pub tour for St. Paddy's Day and trying all the Killbeggan's.
(4)
Heather W.
HELLO WHISKEY! We did a whiskey flight at S&J Crab Ranch! It was amazingly good and fun! At the end of the flight, we got to keep our super sized shot glasses, that was a nice perk! The man serving us our flight was very knowledgeable and professional while still keeping it fun. Food- We only got crab dip when we stopped here on our pub crawl, but it was fantastic! No shells on my end! They give you a warm fluffy french loaf to share with your friends and dip into the heavenly crap dip. Good flavor! I only wish it were larger! One thing I wanted to mention was that their bathrooms were not only incredibly clean but, they were also very pretty! The vanity top at the sinks were a shimmery bluish green. I want it for my house, they're gorgeous!
(5)
Dane H.
Crab soups are good, both the Maryland crab and cream of crab. Do yourself a favor and don't order any of the pies in the desert menu. I ordered the cherry pie and the crust was awful, soggy and undercooked. On the other hand, the bread pudding is amazing! Just have to know what to order when you come here.
(4)
Tiffany S.
Went here based on the good reviews. I have to say disappointed. Food is mediocre. Service was extremely slow. What waitress lets a beer get empty and an appetizer to take 30 minutes. We finally asked the hostess if she could bring the waitress over, and the hostess brought the second round.
(2)
Eugene K.
The price is a bit high vs good quality. Overall I'd say it's ok but not great. But after going there a few times the seafood is fresh. I had raw clams and oysters on point
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Accepts Bitcoin : No Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Mon, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Paul S.
This is a great place for anyone, not just seafood fans. They have Barbecue, Grilled Cheeses, Burgers and Sandwiches too. So there is more to this place than it first leads on. Service was decent, very quiet when we came in on a Sunday night. Had a Barbecue Brisket sandwich and fries. Not a really big portion for the price, but it certainly had quality in the taste and really that's worth paying for in the end. Their homemade sauces tasted really good as well, I used their Carolina Sauce. The great thing about their desserts is they serve homemade pies. You can get them by the slice or order a whole one to take home. Sadly, as much as I had my hopes pinned on a slice of blueberry a la mode they were out. But I will be coming back as long as they have it next time. My friends and I loved the food overall. I could certainly see myself eating here regularly especially because its within walking distance. Update: Since then I have returned here, The blueberry pie is truly excellent.and the platters are huge and truly worth the value. They have some of the best mac n cheese I've tasted and they put the garlic in garlic mashed potatoes. The sandwiches may not be much but if you spend the extra money on a platter you get more food than you could ever ask for. Also the management is extra friendly and attentive. They even held a customer appreciation night with a free buffet. This place is definitely worth the visit.
(4)Zee B.
Service was much better than the food. Restaurant was practically empty on a weekday night in January. This was the only place we could find serving steamed crabs. Started with crab soup and crab dip, both were fine. The crabs were huge and of course, very expensive. They were OK--there's just something about eating crabs in January that makes then seem tastier than they actually are. Also ordered a portobello mushroom sandwich which was almost burned and tough; couldn't finish it. If not for the super-friendly and attentive service, this would be 2 stars.
(3)Kathy S.
Terrible service . Ordered a beer waitress never came back. After 15 minutes we left.
(1)David G.
Let me start by saying I have never in my life sent a dish back. Im not picky or uptight in the least. My wife and I, along with another couple decided to eat at S & J Crab Ranch, as its one of the few places in Towson we have never tried. Two of us ordered baby back ribs. Now I have had ribs hundreds of times in my life, in all different preparations, so I feel like I know what makes ribs good or bad. Upon picking up the rack it was stiff and I could not pull it apart. I took the included steak knife to it and with some effort cut a portion. I took one bite and spit it back into my napkin. It was gross. Under their foul tasting sauce (and yes, I understand Carolina Style is vinegar based, it was still bad. I genuinely though it was spoiled) and (which was clearly added after cooking) was a cold dry rub the consistency of wet sand, and under that was dried out tough meat. Our friend (who is the general manager of a major downtown restaurant and has 15 years in the business) tried his and agreed they were inedible. The waiter stopped by to ask if everything came out ok. I said nothing and was just going to stay quiet and not eat it. However on his next check in, my table had encouraged me to politely send them back, which I did. This brought the manager over who inquired as to the problem. Quickly our effort to politely and discreetly return our ribs was becoming confrontational. This man who the waiter later told us is one of the owners, kept returning to the table and making our entire party uncomfortable. He told us he took our food to the back and tried them and they were perfectly fine. He was now essentially arguing with us. He was able to cut into them fine. To which my friend finally replied, "right, that's the problem, you needed a steak knife to eat ribs". I'm sorry but the only acceptable response from a restaurant manager in this situation is "I'm sorry to hear that, what can I do", not to repeatedly argue with your guests. At this point we just wanted to leave and asked for the check. Which came promptly, thankfully minus the ribs, but with an 18% gratuity already added on. My friend (the restaurant manager) called our waiter back to ask why a gratuity had been added to a party of 4? He said to our waiter, "did you do this because you thought we'd stiff you over the returned food? We know it wasn't your fault and would have tipped your our standard 20%." The waiter replied that he saw it, and it was not him, but the owner who added it. Looking back on the night we should have seen this coming as we watched him micromanage his hostess and turn the request for a high-chair for our friends son into a big musical chairs production. This guy has no business being on the floor in the front of the house. If you're the owner that's great, go sit in the back and count your receipts, but stay the hell away from your patrons, if you can't be a gracious host.
(1)Jen M.
This is a solid spot in a Towson food scene that can range from low quality frozen chain eateries to really expensive frozen chain eateries (seriously - how is Cheesecake Factory still in business?). S&J has weathered it's growing pains and is becoming the go-to for folks who want strong drinks, good food, and cold beer. This is not a college kid pub that will sling $1 Boh's and half prize mozzarella sticks. S&J has a solid menu with a variety of offerings - the crab mac and cheese is one of the best in Baltimore. There's a brisket cheesesteak that is one of the best hidden treats around. The crabs are succulent and the friendly staff will pull the butcher's paper out for you even if you're sitting at the bar. So there's a nice, mellow vibe, friendly staff, solid whiskey selection, and huge portions. And crabs. And cold beer. This is a spot that is worth the trek to Towson.
(4)Diana K.
Solid food , good portions, ok service. Fits in nicely with the rest of the restaurants in Towson.
(4)Spencer S.
Surprisingly darn good! I had the smoked brisket cheesesteak and it was crazy good, as were the sweet potato fries. Good mix of bar/restaurant atmosphere too. Apparently they serve actual steamed crabs also, and they have some picnic tables outside for when it warms up. I'll most likely be back soon.
(4)Pat M.
I've dined/lunched at S&J Crab Ranch around a half a dozen times or so now, and figure it earns a good 3.75 or so, rounded to a 4. Service is usually fairly good and reliable, and I've never experienced a long wait or a "I'm so pissy because I have to work but don't want to" staffer. Instead, the staff from top to bottom always seems friendly and efficient. The food has been pretty solid overall, with a fairly good selection. I've pretty much stuck to sandwiches myself, and have never disliked anything. The closest thing I've had to disappointment is their beef/pork/bbq sandwiches, which I expected better things from based on their price. The meats just aren't anything to write home about... tasty enough, but texturally a little lacking. S&J follows suit with many other places by making several bbq sauce options available at the table-- a good thing. Bother their fries (standard and sweet potato) are pretty good. On the bar side of things my opinion is a bit more limited, as I've only been there once for a happy hour get together. I've been there more often for lunch during the work day, and though a beer or two would probably help my afternoon work performace IMMENSELY (right?!), I alas have to resist imbibing! They seem to have a fair selection of draught beers, including the standards and at least one or two from in or close to the craft brew realm. Overall, S&J is one of the better options for a moderately priced meal in Towson, and worthy of return visits.
(4)Nicole M.
I am just going to give y'all a complete rundown on my experience and S & J Crab Ranch. I usually do not go into this much detail, but... Here it goes: I originally wanted to try out S&J because of how close it is to my house and the reviews courtesy of my fellow Yelpers. Even though this restaurant is so close that I can walk to, we decided to drive on this particular evening in January and did not find trouble with parking. It was 8pm on a Monday. My hubby and I opted to sit in the dining room. I was surprised by how small it was. It was, however, quite charming with the different type of fences posted upon the wall. I was a little put off of the VERY loud music that was playing (pop punk bands like Sum41) but whatever. It's 8pm, I guess the restaurant was just trying to cater to the bar goers rather than the dining room customers at this point in the evening. It was "choose your own seat" so we picked a table close to a flat screen towards the entrance of the room. It took a little time for the waitress to notice we were even there. When she did come to greet us, she brought menus and took our drink order. She came back pretty quickly with our waters and we ordered the Crab Mac n Cheese as an appetizer. I really wanted to try the Crab Dip but my hubby insisted that we get the Mac n Cheese, so Mac n Cheese it is! The owner came over and made small talk and told us to enjoy some comfort food and to come back soon. I thought that was nice of him. Anyways, the Crab Mac n Cheese was great!! (See photos) The crumbly topping added just enough crunch and the cheese sauce was smooth and had a very distinct flavor of a few different cheese types blended together. The owner stopped by our table again, this time to ask how the Mac n Cheese was. We both replied "amazing!" right away. We both then decided on the Cream of Crab soup because after all, what is better than Cream of Crab on a cold, winter evening? Well let me tell you, ANYTHING would have been better than this. We were both so disappointed by this soup. It was the worst Cream of Crab soup either of us have ever had, and believe me, as native Eastern Marylanders, we've had our share of pretty much everything crab. First of all, it was brown (huh?) and appeared to be sitting out for a while. (See photos) I took one small bite, looked up, and the first thing I said was "it tastes like alcohol". I'm not sure if they put some kind of whiskey in it for flavor, but the flavor of alcohol overwhelmed the soup. It was luke warm at best, lumpy, and seriously lacking crab. My hubby refused to eat it, but I wanted to give it another chance, so I took a few more bites. I immediately regretted it. Like I said, the only crab in it was small slivers of backfin and ugh, the list could go on and on. Maybe I just got the soup on a "bad night" because some reviews rave about it, or maybe those Yelpers just haven't tasted what REAL Maryland Cream of Crab tastes like. Who knows. It took our waitress forever to come back to our table... which was odd because the dining room side of the restaurant was pretty dead. She eventually did come by and I explained to her how my husband did not like the soup at all and we wanted it taken off the bill because he only took one bite. At this point, after all the waiting around, we were in S&J for like an hour. She left and then after a few minutes returned and said "He would like to know if we can just give you a to-go bowl of the Maryland Crab instead of removing the Cream of Crab from the check". Who is he? Is he the owner? The owner was around plenty of times before this but couldn't come to the table to resolve the issue? Ok, whatever, we just wanted to get out of this place at this point. She brought us the to-go bowl, and our check. It came to $25. I left her a tip well over 20% because even though she was kind of slow, she was very nice and it wasn't her fault the soup was horrible. I wish I knew her name because she was a nice girl. The two stars are for the fun trivia game that S&J was playing on the flat screen tv that night which kept us slightly occupied during the long periods of nothingness and for our waitress being understanding about the situation even though it was beyond her control. The Maryland Crab is currently sitting in the fridge. I'm too scared to try it and my stomach hurts after eating there. I don't recommend this place and we will probably not be returning.
(2)Mark F.
Terrible service, unprofessional management. The food was not what I expect it to be. I ask for something else and the manager gotten rude, raised his voice and said he wasn't wasting his food. I'm never coming back to this restaurant or would I ever recommend anyone to this restaurant. STAY AWAY
(1)Kerry D.
I was pleasantly surprised by our lunch at the Crab Ranch. From the outside, I wasn't very hopeful and wanted to go across the street- but my sister-in-law thought bbq sounded good, so we went in- and the food was great. I had the tuna melt (recommended by the server) w/hot, fresh fries. My sil had the pulled pork and it was also delicious. The portions were generous and the server was friendly. Great little lunch spot.
(4)D C.
Came during happy hour and had the 1/2 price appetizers. We got the crab Mac and cheese, ahi tuna, half a dozen large crabs, and a shrimp grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. Wow. Everything was so good. Mac and cheese was filled with crab and a huge portion. I have never had a grilled cheese that was as good as this one. Huge chunks of shrimp. Tons of tomato and onions. Crabs were yummy and easy to eat. Ahi tuna was good but paled in comparison to the rest of the meal. It's a good, light appetizer, though. Service was exceptionally friendly, personable, and quick. If we lived here, we'd be regulars.
(5)Diane S.
Delicious crab dip. Friendly service. Lost our crab order. After an hour, I inquired about steamed crabs. Was told there was a problem with their printer... crabs would be another 20 minutes. When crabs came out, they were bad. Was not charged for crabs and they deducted a beer off our check. They tried hard, but fail miserably.
(2)Meghna A.
To diners: A couple of months ago when my Husband and I dined at S&J, the Cream of Crab soup contained very little crab, which I wrote in my review about. Looks like they took the criticism well, coz since then they have always always loaded the soup with crab meat. The soup is a must try( a tip- add a little of the Old Bay seasoning to it to break the monotony).. The steamed shrimp sauteed in Old Bay with onions is a good dish- perfectly cooked shrimp with just the right seasoning.. You should try the Bread pudding as well. The clarified butter sauce poured on it just makes it heavenly!! Dear Owners: Appreciate you guys reading all our reviews and doing the needful. It shows us you value our opinion!!
(5)Kippy P.
Been here two times. I'm glad I gave it a second try. I think it is all about knowing what their strengths are and sticking to certain things. Both times we have sat at a booth in the bar. It is comfortable, lots of flat screen TVs and gets a good crowd during Friday Happy Hour. The first time we ordered the pulled pork nachos and wings. Everything was fresh on the nachos and they were good. The pulled pork was ok (keep in mind I am a BBQ snot) and the wings were good. We shared the ribs (they were ok). The mac n cheese and potato salad were great! We left thinking it was ok, nothing special we wouldn't rush back. So then a month later I am in the mood for crabs and I heard people say that they had decent crabs (you don't always feel like driving to Costas)! So we decided to give it a whirl. We ordered the crab soup- cream and reg mixed- delicious! And the crab dip- equally as good! The waiter was nice enough to bring out the Large, Extra Large and Jumbo's to show me. We decided on the Jumbo's. The crabs were perfectly seasoned and fantastic! Both of the owners came by to introduce themselves and make sure everything was good (which was nice). We had a great meal and will definitely be back for crabs soon!
(4)Chandra O.
Stopped by today to try one of their $7.00 lunch specials YES $7! You get sandwich, fries and drink. Oh and a pickle slice! I love that and many places have stopped adding pickle slices so I was definitely pleased. Anyway I ordered the jerk chicken wrap...oh so good and tasty! However I left my wallet there :-(. I was frantic when I realized it hours later. Called and they had it safely put away for me. AWESOME! This was my second time there and both times I've enjoyed the food so will be back.
(4)Becca H.
Awesome food. Went here for Baltimore county restaurant week and I was impressed. The service was good, crab dip was excellent, the crab cake had more crab that fillers, the filet was cooked perfectly, and the peach cobbler was not overwhelmingly sweet. I will definitely come back one day.
(4)Andrew L.
This place was great! Great food and service and fair prices. I recommend it to anyone venturing out to the Towson area
(4)Piyumi R.
We had a great time when I went with my friends. Very good food.
(4)Amy P.
Went there for an informal happy hour, had a great time. Tap menu is a little limited, but they more than make up for it with the food. The crab dip is the best I have ever had. Also had a pulled pork sandwich and it was just perfection, plus it came with 3 or 4 sauces you could choose from.
(4)Joseph M.
Being from CA, I haven't had Maryland steamed crab since I was 7 years old but the smell and taste is so unique, it has stuck in my memory for the last 23 years. When they rolled out the paper and brought out the crab, I spent about 10 minutes just inhaling and recalling lost memories. Delicious and great service. The biggest problem, parking sucks and I got towed because apparently the parking lot to the side of the restaurant is for a club of douche clowns. Good thing I was high from crab.
(4)Jean G.
Went for dinner this evening...waited in a very crowded front area for someone to add our names to a wait list for a nearly empty restaurant. A blond hostess seemed to be the only person doing the job of 3 people...and not doing any of them well. She had many opportunities to let all of the at least 24 people in the waiting area know that she would be right with us but instead she just seemed do her very best to ignore all of us while slowly going on her way. This may not have been the most egregious of faults I've encountered dining out...except that right next to hostess desk was a sign stating that an 18% gratuity would be added to each table. We couldn't get our names added to a waiting list after waiting at least 15 minutes, or be acknowledged for that matter, but if and when we were finally seated we would have gratuity added to our check?!?!?!!?!? Hmmmm. There was a sign pointing the the bar area saying to seat yourself. My party went upstairs where we encountered the very unfriendly hostess who said that there were no seats available in the bar area. Asked if we could add our name to the wait list I was told that she was too busy taking care of reservations to have my name added to the wait list and I could sit at the bar. Not an option with my 8 year old son. On the way out I noticed at least 2 other parties exit the restaurant. Not sure how a small business can survive ignoring clients. I won't be back.
(1)Kate P.
First of all I will start out by saying that I will NEVER return to this establishment or EVER recommend it to anyone. A few friends and I visited S&J this past Saturday and the experience was terrible from the very beginning to the very end. We stood at the front desk for about 3 minutes before we were even greeted and after that we were told every five minutes that it would be another five minutes before we could be seated (this lasted for about 20 or 30 minutes). I understand that they were a little busy, it was a Saturday; we should have been told there was a wait but instead we were given empty promises. Once we were finally seated and our food came out we were even more disappointed. My friends and I shared the pulled pork nachos which were actually pretty good and two of us got the cream of crab soup. I took a few bites and I can honestly say it's the worst I've ever had; there were more shells than crab meat and the it was very bland, what's cream of crab soup without Old Bay? We originally came here for crabs but we ended up not ordering any because they only had x-larges left and they were extremely expensive. I could have went to a crab shack and paid half the price. So instead I got a Ceasar Salad, the dressing had a really terrible taste to it, so I also only had a few bites of that. Now for the kicker, my friend ordered the Filet and a double order of french fries, turns out you get screwed when you go to S&J... there was literally a screw in his french fries. We spoke to the manager or owner or whatever he was and he didn't even offer to take if off the bill. At first all he wanted to do was "buy" us dessert or a drink and when he saw that we were very displeased and not interested he offered a gift certificate. Now we thought maybe he would give a gift certificate and take it off the bill, but no; the bill came and the filet was still on it (not to mention he didn't even tell our waitress, who was very sweet, about the issue we had.) We had to practically beg him to let us use the gift certificate (that didn't even cover the full cost of the meal) he was giving us on the bill and he finally caved after he realized we were not paying for that particular portion of the meal. Terrible customer service on his part, and I work in retail so I know how it should be. The only interest he had in giving us a gift certificate was to get us back to the terrible restaurant to spend more of our money on some terrible food.
(1)George S.
I was looking for a place in/near Towson to have maryland crabs and found this place on yelp. Even though they didn't have great reviews, only good things were said about the crabs so I decided to give it a shot. This place has a nice ambience and is much bigger inside than it looks from the outside. Three of us went on a wednesday night and ordered fried catfish appetizers, 1/2 rack baby back ribs dinner and 1 dozen Large crabs. It was very reasonably priced. All that food plus 4 draft beers came out to only $86 after taxes. The fried catfish was an excellent starter. However, the baby back ribs was not so good compared to most other rib joints I've been to.Although their spicy BBQ sauce was very good, the meat was just not as tender as I would expect. But the main star of the show was the large blue crabs and they were amazingly good. I heard the table next to us rave about them as well. We had Sherman as our waiter and he did an great job. He was very attentive and provided exceptional service. Bottom line, other than the ribs, it was a great meal and I left satisfied. I'll definitely go back in the future.
(4)Sherri L.
I've been to this establishment many times and was always pleased with the food, however a few weeks ago my husband and I purchased extra large steamed crabs from the crab ranch and found that a few were mushy (keep in mind that these crabs were not cheap). My husband called the ranch and spoke to one of the owners who told him to bring the crabs back. Well he did. When he arrived the owner proceeded to put his hands in the bag to pull out the crabs! Wait did he put on any gloves, Wash his hands, use sanitizer...NO! My husband was stunned and furious. He asked for a refund, but was told he would be refunded only for the three mushy crabs not for the ones that he had put his nasty, filthy hands all over. His logic was that you don't eat the shell! Well my fellow crab eaters as you know the seasoning on the shell is part of the crab eating experience and so what if I never eat the shell or taste the seasoning, this man thought it was ok to put his hands in my food! Needless to say we will never go there again! Fellow crab lovers beware! Ps. I give this establishment "0" stars, but the program makes me give it one. Sherri L.
(1)Megan J.
The crab mac and cheese is awesome and I am a picky mac and cheese person! The crab are very good too! The peach cobbler is very good too with big portions for the desserts. Parking is hard to find but do-able.
(4)Deryk L.
great atmosphere! the service was decent though my server seemed new she did a great job answering my questions. i ordered the brisket cheesesteak--never heard of it before so i was pumped! it was ok--the fries ROCKED! overall i was pleased with everything--made for a nice place for dinner for two.
(4)Jason P.
Apparently, the 4th time is the charm. I had a rocky start with S&J Crab Ranch. But I saw the potential of the place and desperately wanted to have a good experience with them. All these experiences are with "carry out" orders. The ribs are delicious. The restaurant is very nice on the inside. Potato salad is good. Fries are good (though they get a little soggy in the carry out container). Also, sometimes they put the food on top of the fries which soaks them. 1. Called ahead and ordered crabs. Was quoted a price (which included a Facebook 'promotion') and placed the order for crabs. I came to the restaurant ready to pay that price. A different person who rang me up said that was the wrong price. He gave me a slight discount - but did not honor the price his employee quoted. 2. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant to find no one at the front hostess stand. Stood there for a few minutes until I finally decided to go to the bar to get someone. Discovered that's where you pickup the food. (There was still no one at the front hostess stand as I left) 3. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant (this time knowing to go to the bar). There were 2 female bartenders who were apparently irritated that they needed to retrieve my food from the kitchen. They just gave me attitude and a snicker. 4. Placed order on phone and arrived at the restaurant to someone at the front hostess stand who had my food ready to go.
(4)Kelly F.
We Stumbled upon this place after leaving the Towson mall. I AM SO IMPRESSED!! From the service to the ambiance to the food.... I can not say enough good things. This place is warm, clean and crisp. Its what you want a restaurant to be. Great bar, very friendly staff and a variety of items on the menu. We sat in the bar and had fantastic service, when our server appeared to be handling a large party two other servers came to check on us! We started with steamed shrimp and grilled southwest oysters, delicious! For entrees I had the crab cake platter which was fantastic, the crab cake was filled with lump crab and came with two sides , I had baked beans and mac and cheese both were great and tasted very homemade. My girlfriend got the Brisket Platter and had the potato salad three ways which was likely the best potato salad we ever had besides our own. After we were already stuffed to the gils we split the bread pudding and it was amazing!!!!!!!!!!! Our server Kara was excellent! she knew so much about the menu and had great suggestions. I wouldn't change a thing about this place and I'm so glad we found it! We had a horrible dining experience last night at a place called IGGIES and S&J CRAB RANCH redeemed our weekend with a great night, great food, very friendly staff and overall nice time, thank you!!
(5)AK S.
Cannot believe this place is literally right down the street from my house and it has taken me 4 months to check it out. Of course once I did visit I returned for happy hour the very next week! The bartenders and wait staff could not be nicer. They have a great happy hour deal and everything I've tried so far off of the menu has been very good. Would definitely recommend for a date night, family birthday dinner, or just a nice evening out with friends!
(5)Lucy R.
Great crabs! Excellent deal, especially on Monday nights, when they are on special. We had a dozen, and every one was big and heavy - Larges that could easily have been Extra Larges some other places. The seasoning was good - tasty but not crusted with spice. They came out fresh and hot - so hot we couldn't even handle them at first. Nice place: comfortable, friendly service, and while there are many TVs they were turned down low enough that we could ignore them. Owner came by to make sure everything was OK. Decent selection of draft and bottled beer. Only reason I didn't give it five stars was that the non-crab eating members of our party were a bit underwhelmed - my husband's blackened chicken on pasta had a cheese sauce that was too rich for his taste and also very spicy - apparently had the blackening spice mixed in. Another party member's steamed broccoli came swimming in butter. When I asked my husband If he'd come here again, his response was "Sure, if you're having crabs. Otherwise not so much." (He's allergic to shellfish.) Desserts were OK - bread pudding was very good, but portion was too big even for two people (I know, not really a problem.) The pies, on the other hand, were pedestrian at best. The peach cobbler was very tasty. Easy street parking, at least on a week-night.
(4)Dan W.
Went with a friend on a Wednesday night, around 6, the restaurant was dead except for a party in a back room. I am cautious about eating in empty restaurants, but I figured I'd chance it.Glad I did. We sat outside, waitress was awesome, brought out wings, etc. quickly. The shrimp were good, wings were good, crab cakes solid, and the peach cobbler was warm and awesome too. My only complaint is that the prices are steep where they don't need to be - $8 for five wings, $20 for a pound of shrimp, but other than that, I am a buyer and would probably the same food again. The ambiance of sitting outside on a nice night in Towson, with very good seafood, was worth a few extra bucks. By the time we left the bar and restaurant had filled up. I plan to return.
(4)Matt B.
Great food. Everything I have tried here has been very tasty. The interior is really nice and clean with plenty of good tv's around. Service has been mostly good. Once or twice I felt the bartenders were rude or ignoring us, but in general I recommend coming and checking it out for yourself.
(4)Swivelneck D.
I never got to eat here and am rating this place on service (or lack thereof). If you agree that restaurants should not be held accountable for closing 60-90 minutes before their posted hours, skip my review. First, I have owned businesses (several) so believe me when I say that I understand the cost of employees and running a business. Having said that, it is unacceptable to repeatedly shut down the kitchen as early as this place does. If you are consistently not getting the business you need at certain hours, it is up to you to change your hours. I have tried to go here twice. The first time, me and 3 others drove here at 8:45pm to eat. Their hours are listed as 10pm that night. When we arrived, they immediately told us the kitchen was closed. We left. Then last night I stopped by on the way home with 2 people to eat there, or at least get carryout if they kitchen was in the process of shutting down. It was 9:05pm when I arrived. The bartender was the only person in sight. He was on the phone and, despite my making it VERY clear that I wanted his attention, he continued to speak on the phone with whoever for at least 6-7 minutes. When he hung up, he said the kitchen was closed. I left and said I would not be back. Neither time did I even remotely get an apology.
(1)Martha M.
Great crabs and ribs, and friendly, professional service. A terrific restaurant in Towson.
(4)Ed S.
My wife and I went here on the spur of the moment and we're glad we did. We just returned to the East Coast after living on the West Coast and Midwest and I decided I wanted to get some crabs. It wasn't the season for Maryland crabs, but S&J had some others I could try. I ordered six large-size crabs (probably three more than I needed) and some Maryland crab soup while my wife had a blackened chicken pasta and a salad. We sat outside, which was very nice, and I went to work. I'd never had this type of crab before, so it was nice when the waiter asked and then the manager walked me through opening the crab for eating. It was very good! They were steamed nicely and all six stayed hot while I spent about an hour de-shelling them and eating. My wife enjoyed the ambiance and talking to myself and the waitstaff while watching me consume the crabs slowly. Trust me, she thinks the experience is fun. ;-) If you don't like Old Bay Seasoning, you might want to avoid the seafood at S&J (they have what look like wonderful ribs, too), but I like it so the crabs were great. My wife's blackened chicken was a little salty, but she said the pasta itself was nice. After the dining experience left us full, we somehow decided to try their dessert menu. It all looked very reasonably priced, so she had a peach cobbler while I ordered the bread pudding. The prices were no indication of size! These were HUGE and very good. I recommend sharing next time. We pretty much had to roll out of there. The waitstaff was very friendly, the area pleasant (parking was a bit of an issue, but there was a festival going on nearby), and I think sitting inside would have been nice, too. The food was very good: The chicken being a little salty was the only complaint. I very much recommend S&J and look forward to trying some of their other menu items.
(4)Todd H.
I should have listened to the recommendation from my hotel. The service was slow and my grilled oysters we cold. I had one beer and wanted a few but the bartender was not even paying attention. I left him a $1 tip after paying for my $30 dinner while on business. I hope he gets the message.
(2)Kevin Y.
friendly staff, decent food, inexpensive drinks. i am a fan. don't expect to see hot girls here though. it's more of a family place.
(3)Brian S.
I had very poor service from the Crab Ranch. During a recent lunch, it took a half hour before I and my colleagues were served any food. It took an additional half hour before we received our checks. During a previous lunch, we had a server mix up or orders, mess up our checks, and complain about our group requesting separate checks.
(1)Amanda T.
My sister and I dined at S & J this evening - she had purchased a Living Social coupon, and we decided to try it. The menu is very extensive. We asked the server what she recommended, and both of her recommendations were grand slams. Don't miss the St. Louis (I think that was it) ribs - delish. We also tried seafood appetizers: mussels and oysters. Both had fantastic flavor. The joint was hopping, service was very nice, and one of the owners stopped over to see how we enjoyed it. We had nothing but good things to say. Don't miss the desserts - we split a peach cobbler and it was DIVINE.
(4)Katie S.
I went here with my husband and his mom. It sort of had that "just opened" restaurant feel, but everyone was very friendly and helpful. Two of us had the crabcakes and they were delicious! The pit turkey was so-so. The atmosphere was very comfortable/casual and the food was reasonably priced. Overall, I would recommend going here. The menu is huge and it has promise!
(4)Eric D.
I had crabs here November 2012. The crabs were good and service was so so. I got on Yelp tonight and looked up the reviews. For what ever reason, I chose not to believe the reviews on service. To start the night, the waitress came promptly. She was very pleasant. We sat at the table at about 7:45. There was one waitress for about 5 or 6 tables. Beer selection was lacking. I like IPAs and she said they did not carry an IPA. Ugh! Beer selection is not her fault. We promptly placed an order for a dozen x-large crabs at $79 a dozen and my kids ordered ribs and a crab cake. The beer showed up promptly and it was very cold. 40 minutes later the ribs and crab cake showed up. 10 minutes later the crabs arrived. She placed the crabs down and I thought WOW these are x-large. They were medium to large. She ran over to the table as we were digging in to our crabs and said "oops these are for the table behind you and scooped up the plate of crabs and the ones we had started eating and said hurry I don't want the table next to you to see what just happened. Did I mention the table next to us sat down 10 minutes after us. The table next to us noticed the maneuver and as the waitress left we both said WTF. She came back and brought our crabs and compared them to the table next to us claiming the crab steamer screwed up. Very very awkward for both tables. She was very pleasant and moderately attentive so I tipped her 20%. It was the biggest waiting goat rodeo I ever experienced. Over all the crabs and the food were good. Service and the kitchen were slow and very disorganized. The tab was $127 bucks for 2 kids and 2 adults which is not chump change. Tip was $24. For $150 dinner I would expect a whole lot better. I don't think this review will amount to much because there is no way they can stay in business very much longer
(2)F K.
Terrible, terrible service and customer service... Many excuses, but subpar effort to make things right. We waited for 45 minutes to get food that wasn't right (minor things wrong with the salad, an entirely wrong sandwich), and still wasn't right on the SECOND effort after waiting another 15 mintues! The food was good, but after the apology when asked what they would do to make it right, we were told we weren't charged for the drinks... Thanks for the free water! I won't be back.
(1)Mikey B.
Very good Carolina pork sandwich and Brunswick stew. Yum
(5)Brandon S.
Drove over an hour to get there and food was NOT good! My wife got chicken it was $18 and was so dry she only ate 2 bites and just threw it away. I got a BBQ chicken grilled cheese and it was okay. If had to have sat in the kitchen for 10 mins before they brought it out it was so cold. The best thing we got from here was the apple pie. I'm assuming they didn't make it.. I won't be back!
(1)S J.
I remember reading a "coming soon" article about S&J Crab Ranch and I liked the initials so we gave it a try...the consensus is that we will not be back. I guess we should have known by the name "Crab Ranch" ...these words really don't go together and really nothing in this restaurant really goes together. We had steamed shrimp, crab dip, fish special, non memorable shrimp dish and something equally non memorable for our son. The crab dip was terrible - 75% of left when the server came to clear the appetizer plates and we told our server that it was not good at all but we are not the type of patrons to press the issue. The services was very good. The rest of meal was edible and we did not receive any "hardware store" items (see review below) in our meal but after all is said and done we look at our bill both said..."this was not worth it." Ultimately, you get the feel that this is a restaurant of compromise - it's like two lawyers got together to start a restaurant...one loved BBQ other loved seafood - neither knows how to open/run a restaurant and together they create something that never needed creating in the first place. Pass this one by and let it just go back to being just a bad dream where is should have stayed.
(2)robert c.
ive been wanting to try this place so i did. relaxing friendly service. ordered the green tomato blt with basil mayo on toasted rye with sweet potato fries. EXCELLENT huge portions and very tasty. excellent plate presentation.
(5)Mike W.
Been there twice! The second time was better than first!!
(3)Taia C.
I had family here from out of town. They wanted crabs, so I used yelp to find S&J just a couple of blocks away. There was only one problem: they had NO crabs! We understood that it was because of the weather, but the kids were still very disappointed. The service was pretty good. i never got a refill, but i really didn't need it. Several of us had the cream of crab soup. It tasted pretty good, but had very little crab in it. The crab cakes, which many of us ordered as entrees, weren't what you would expect from a MD establishment. They don't use jumbo lump crabmeat and there is a lot of filler! :( We were told they were broiled but they looked and tasted fried to me. Not sure it would have mattered since it was more like a ball of crab stuffing than a crab cake. The mac n cheese was recommended by the waitress, but the mac n cheese (actually shells and cheese sauce) wasn't great. You'll love the green beans if you like them with a hint of garlic. I do so I loved them. I don't care what the other posts say, do not order dessert! We had the apple pie and the cobbler. Neither looked appealing and I wouldn't recommend either. The kids enjoyed the pony burger...maybe the rest of us should have gotten that!
(1)Michelle N.
A fantastic local place to eat. We have been here two times and our waitress remembered us and welcomed us like VIPs the second time. The food is outrageously good, crabs were cooked perfectly with fantastic seasoning. The owners are crab distributers so they get the pick of the crop! The second time we ordered off the menu and everything was just as good as the crabs. This is now our new go to place. Love it and the staff!!!
(5)Daniel P.
So its something new in Towson which is nice. I had a dozen raw oysters which were pretty good for $14. Also had the crab pretzel,which I was really excited for and it was just bland and mushy and dissapointing. It needed some seasoning and the pretzel could have baked a little longer. Nice people.
(3)Kat L.
The crabs were delicious, but man, they've become expensive. I know there's a shortage now, but wow. One small critique. Luckily, they weren't busy, but I made reservations a week in advance through Yelp and got a e-mail confirmation. I called today to make sure they had crabs available. I mentioned that I had a reservation and they asked for my name to confirm. I got there on time, only to be welcomed by confused staff who couldn't find my reservation. I'm looking into a nearly empty restaurant as they do this. If it had been busy and I didn't get a table, I'd be furious. Just didn't make sense.
(4)Natia J.
This rating is for poor service. I walked in during happy hour and this place was empty. I was the ONLY customer. I sat at the bar and tried to ordered my favorite wine or at least something close to it, but they did not have it. So, I asked for water. Then, I tried to place a food order. The bartender put in my order, but some lady (not sure if it is the owner or not) came over to me and stated I can only get the happy hour price if I buy a drink. There was no sign stating this... The bartendar replied stating well we don't have what she wants. The lady then stated okay well only two appetizers can be ordered at a time. There also was not a sign stating this... I then decided to pick up my purse and leave. Maybe the owner or crazy lady is racist or maybe she thought I had stupid stamped on my forehead. I see why the place was empty during happy hour. NOT RECOMMENDED
(1)Christine D.
Wow was this bad! I'm not one to give negative review lightly but steamed crabs are expensive and when they are bad, damn, they're bad. We stopped here today after the towsontowne festival. I ordered 3 crabs, my husband got the brisket cheesesteak and our 7 yr old got the kids pizza. Their meals came out in about 20 minutes. Kinda ridiculous for what they got but we figured the crabs were holding it up. Nope, crabs came 10 mins LATER. This was not a busy time mind you! The brisket was fatty which my hubby hates but he said the flavor was good. My daughter couldn't even eat a bite of the $7 microwave kids pizza. It was not visually appealing or edible in any way. Now for the crabs. I ordered 3 of the xl crabs (which the server did not know the price of but we later found out we're $9.25 per crab). They were missing claws, not heavy and were the size of your average sm/med crab. Not being one to complain, I dug-in trying to make the best of it when an overwhelming smell of something burning came over me. It was the crabs!! I have no idea how you burn a steamed crab but they did it. The meat had a disgusting burnt taste not to mention they did not season the crabs AT ALL. I asked for real butter melted to dip them in and of course got the standard yellow liquid shortening crap. Overpriced food that wasn't even mediocre... What a waste of a nice night out.
(1)Renee B.
I only stopped in here to pass some time waiting for another event I was due to be at 7pm. I came in right around 6pm. It was happy hour. I felt welcomed soon as I walked in the door. I sat at the bar. I had an apple martini that was delicious and I decided to order some crab macaroni and cheese. That too was delicious. I really had a nice time. I just wish I had more time that day. I can't wait to return. I need to check out the crabs.
(4)Heather R.
Really loved the steamed crabs. Great prices n great service. Best place to sit in n eat crabs
(5)Irina G.
This was my 3rd visit and I feel comfortable commenting on all aspects of their food. Crabs: 4 star-Good size. Really good seasoning... classic spice with a little extra course salt. We ordered a dozen and some were slightly overcooked... but just slightly. Appetizers: pulled pork nachos... yum! So yummy and a good size for sharing. Cream of Crab soup also very good. Good seasoning without too much salt from old bay and NOT shelly at all. Onion rings were also great. Only complaint here was the crab dip. Both times I got this is was cold and not mixed well. The seasoning was great. Plenty of crab. But they need to serve this in a better dish to heat through better and allow some of the cream cheese to melt. Would NOT recommend it... pic shows the globs of straight up cream cheese. Southern food: Eh... solid 3... some 4. brisket is salty and portion size was small. Pulled pork was pretty good. burger was decent and cooked correctly. Crab cakes and kids meals were solid as well. While crab cakes were not jumbo lump they were a good size, not a ton of filler, not shelly, and good seasoning. My daughter said the Mac and cheese was great... which is truly high praise from my picky eater. Service - OK. Friendly but not terribly attentive. Couldn't tell if that's because she was busy or bad. All in all decent and I would come back.
(4)Kelly H.
I came here on a whim with my boyfriend on a Saturday night (around 9 PM). Our bartender Brooks was really cool and made the experience enjoyable from the start. He was very personable and took the time to talk to us a little bit, which is always nice. Just an observation: it was strange to us how dead the place was. I'm not sure if it's just a weird location or what, but we were of 4 parties in the restaurant (including patrons at the bar), and it was Saturday night! It was just a little unexpected. Another quick mention: there were really nice tvs above the bar, so I think this might be a good place to come and watch sports on a weeknight. The food was okay--my boyfriend had Maryland Crab Soup--not much crab. We split Pulled Pork Nachos which were pretty standard bar food. Not spectacular, but I would probably eat them again. We split a slice of apple pie for dessert, which was also pretty average. We are definitely foodies and none of the things we ordered wowed us; however, the service was excellent and might encourage us to come back again for a beer and maybe a snack.
(3)Walter N.
In the mood for crabs, called ahead and was able to reserve some jumbos. Started off with absolutely fabulous cup of MD Crab Soup. Really tasty. Crabs came out huge and hot. Very tasty crabs which were really heavy. Finished it off with the peach cobbler. The only thing that keeps them from 5 stars is someone made a mistake and turned off the freezer which melted the ice cream. Great place with great service
(4)Sam M.
Good start for my first visit. The service is friendly. Staff is concern about out enjoyment and our comfort. We ordered a "Lunchbox," which they aren't familiar with it; however, they made it after they asked about it -- it was perfect. The nacho appetizer is ginormous -- a meal in itself. The Maryland crab soup was very tasty. A friend ordered a 1/2 lb of shrimp, which was done well. I had the herb encrusted salmon with sweet potato fries, which was very good. Be sure to bring friends, family and the dog here. When leaving, the dog had its own pitcher... well, a pale of water, really.
(3)Trae S.
Great spot to grab lunch or dinner in Towson. We had lunch there while up visiting family. My wife and I like to try out different restaurants while we are in town. The Crab Ranch didn't disappoint. Great crab dip. We split an order between the four of us and it was a nice way to start the meal. I had the oyster po' boy which came with a mound of nicely seasoned fries. The orange crush was also good; a good effort at a Baltimore favorite. I'd definitely stop by again while in Towson.
(4)Kiauna B.
Great music-alternative & soft rock. Our server, Khalil, was wonderful They are very attentive & friendly. I will definitely come back when on that side of town. The food was good. Not a big fan of the onion rings, no real flavor on them. I would definitely recommend this place.
(4)Sherry J.
Met RJ's friends here for drinks on his birthday. There was a band playing, and the bartender was friendly and gave us great service. It's a fun place, and the owner's dog is adorable! I would love to try the menu.
(4)Lisa R.
My husband and I went to the Crab Ranch for Valentine's Day, and had a really great experience. I usually go for happy hour, so this was my first experience with their dinner menu. The service was wonderful! Our server Brooks was very friendly and attentive, and the owner Jim greeted us and checked in with us during the meal to make sure everything was going well. We ordered the shrimp and grits and bacon wrapped shrimp appetizers and both were well prepared and flavorful. The center cut pork chop and buttermilk fried chicken entrees arrived quickly, and were equally tasty. I recommend the sweet potato fries as a side, and the bread pudding for dessert. The restaurant is spacious and inviting, and the staff really went out of their way to make our meal special. We're looking forward to our next trip to the Crab Ranch!
(5)Dawn S.
Went for happy hour. They have good prices for happy hour. I got wings, crab dip & mussels. The wings were a little too salty & not cooked hard enough for me. The crap dip wasn't too bad.... it got better when I got to the bottom. The mussels were good and a great price $5. The bartender was friendly. The place was empty.
(3)Tracey B.
Crab cake was mostly fillers Guacamole was not fresh and had a brown color to it. Broccoli was over cooked
(3)Jen C.
Awesome steamed crab right in downtown Towson. My brother and I got a crab dip appetizer that was amazingly cheesy, with fresh and soft bread. And a half dozen order of crabs. The crabs were delicious with lots of spices on top. There's plenty of TVs to watch the games. Make sure to check at the bar for some happy hour specials. Also follow the restaurant on their Facebook or Twitter for nightly specials.
(4)Jim H.
The bartender Sarah makes the best drinks with in this day is hard find. She actually puts a wedge of lime that looks like one. Not paper thin. She been courteous and even took some good natured sarcasm. Ordered an appetizer bbq shrimp. Came promptly cooked perfect. She even prompted conversation between the other 6 patrons at bar and before you knowing. We were buying each other drinks. She is an asset nice happy hour and specials. Reminds of a place where they all know your name. Cheers
(5)Quintin P.
First couple of visits when they first opened - our experience and quality of food was great. Staff and management may have changed recently and it's now a disrespectful, zero organization, no service , forgetful establishment... I could go on but would rather not. For example, my wife and kids last month decided to dine outdoors. We were not the only tables outside. It took 27 mins to get water! In fact, the service was so bad, the other patrons and myself started to talk and mock this place. The server, when he finally arrived said ,"I don't even work here and was pulled in last minute, and am unfamiliar with menu." We complained to the manager and he didn't have clue and had no composure. Feedback to the owner, get your business in order, implement customer service, hire talent, and calibrate staff on what's important...the customer! You're a small business, service is key to survival. I will spread the word about this catastrophe, stay away !
(1)Sara W.
Was hoping for some stellar crab cakes while visiting Baltimore, but this place did not deliver on that hope. First, the service was pretty terrible as I was ignored for about 10 mins. My crab cake had lots of shell bits and that turned me off pretty quick. The side of broccoli was over cooked, sweet potato fries were the highlight of the meal but that's not sayin much! Would not recommend at all.
(1)Wufi D.
I ordered the roasted beet salad with goat cheese and the crab cheese dip. The service was good at 5.30pm. The food was bland and average for the price. Lets start with the salad... the roasted beets, goat cheese, apples, & lettuce was good... spring mix. The candy pecans were too sweet to go with the salad dressing... the dressing i thought was supposed to be lemon poppy vinegatette, but it tasted like straight honey.... to sweet and sticky! The salad dressing needed to compliment the salad better or they just should have used plain pecans.... or maybe both. The crab dip had a nice presentation but was very bland. First I added some pepper but had to pull out the big guns.... tobasco sauce! The service was super but the boring food brought the score down so low. I doubt i will ever come here for food again. Maybe the bar to watch sports.
(2)Edward C.
First time we were there the food was good and service fair. Second time the food was only ok. Third time the food was cold, took over half an hour to come out, and service was poor, as if the waiter didn't want to be bothered. We don't plan to go back again.
(2)John E.
My dad and I went up here to grab dinner one evening and the food was a really good and priced right on target. If you want quality food at a reasonable price this is the place to come. When we went it wasn't very busy, so we had very prompt service; not sure if it is busier on other nights of the week. I would definitely recommend ordering the crab dip, as it is not the cheap flavorless stuff you get at most places. Definitely not a very well known dining spot which is unfortunate considering how good the food and service is there.
(4)Lisa S.
Wonderful food and attentive staff! It seemed like they were a little annoyed with us asking to watch a specific game and weren't thrilled when we used the yelp discount. Either way a nice experience.
(4)Skylar S.
So....a group of my good buddy's decide lets try S&J's Crab shack. We get there and the smell of spice and sweet smoke draws us in. We take a seat and are met immediately by our friendly waitress. It takes me all of three seconds of glancing at the menu before I instantly know what I am ordering......the "Crab Ranch Burger". I thought at first this was a very strange combination that should never be allowed to coexist on a single burger, but at the very next moment, I thought to myself "wow this is genius". So when the waitresses came around to me, I placed my magical order. We waited close to an hour, which was very frustrating. The burger came out, and I was pissed. I didn't see no crab, or ranch!!!!! They had my order wrong!!! I'm not one to complain so I decided to sucked it up and eat this plain burger. What came next blew my f'ing mind...... I took my first bite, and the overwhelming flavor burst of fresh lump crab and creamy ranch hit my pallet. It was glorious!!!! They baked the crab and ranch INTO my burger! Who woulda thunk it?!! I could taste the brackish bay water in every bite. This is why I love a my Maryland home. Crab is what I live for. The ranch, OMG, the ranch MUST be made in house. So creamy, so delectable. My mom always told me "its what's on the inside that count" and boy she couldn't be more right. A crab and ranch stuffed burger delight!!! After the meal, I commented to the waitress what a genius idea this burger was. She looked at me strange, and stated the burger contained zero crab, or ranch. I laughed, as she was clearly a crazy hoe. I know what my buds tasted, and my buds don't lie. Thank you "crab ranch" burger. You are my world. TOTALLY worth the wait!!!
(5)Asheley W.
I'm giving this place 4 stars because I can't give them 3.5. The good: -Solid food, good portions. The smoked pork BBQ is really delicious. The smokey flavor was enough without any sauce and that's the true test for me. Oysters were clean and briny, just the way they should be. Crab dip was delicious and not overly cheesy. -Attentive service with Jeremy behind the bar. We never had an empty drink and he was quick to take food orders. He made our Sunday football viewing experience more enjoyable. The bad (well, not that bad): The prices are honestly the only thing keeping this from being a solid 4 stars for me. Some of their specials are fantastic: $1 oysters during football games on Sunday, 1/2 price appetizers during weeknight happy hours, etc. But aside from that, I think most of the food (except for the BBQ) is pretty overpriced. My overall recommendation is to come here when they're offering specials of some sort. The food is good and the specials make it a great value.
(4)Lily L.
Nicest people you will ever meet!! The owners were super nice and the staff was awesome! The fried green tomatoes were super yums and the crabs are huge!! So glad we chose this place to go to Maryland for crabs!
(5)Mike P.
Another great find in Towson - great service, full bar and fun food. Dont forget to ask about the crabs, meaning full craps pick your-own type...they had the large, not the little small medium ones.
(5)Kathea S.
I'm with Heather. Quite impressed by the whiskey knowledge of the guy bringing us our samples. He knew his stuff. Bonus points for the good crab dip. I'm super picky when it comes to crab dip, because I don't eat seafood. Good balance of cheese and crab. Had a great time on the pub tour for St. Paddy's Day and trying all the Killbeggan's.
(4)Heather W.
HELLO WHISKEY! We did a whiskey flight at S&J Crab Ranch! It was amazingly good and fun! At the end of the flight, we got to keep our super sized shot glasses, that was a nice perk! The man serving us our flight was very knowledgeable and professional while still keeping it fun. Food- We only got crab dip when we stopped here on our pub crawl, but it was fantastic! No shells on my end! They give you a warm fluffy french loaf to share with your friends and dip into the heavenly crap dip. Good flavor! I only wish it were larger! One thing I wanted to mention was that their bathrooms were not only incredibly clean but, they were also very pretty! The vanity top at the sinks were a shimmery bluish green. I want it for my house, they're gorgeous!
(5)Dane H.
Crab soups are good, both the Maryland crab and cream of crab. Do yourself a favor and don't order any of the pies in the desert menu. I ordered the cherry pie and the crust was awful, soggy and undercooked. On the other hand, the bread pudding is amazing! Just have to know what to order when you come here.
(4)Tiffany S.
Went here based on the good reviews. I have to say disappointed. Food is mediocre. Service was extremely slow. What waitress lets a beer get empty and an appetizer to take 30 minutes. We finally asked the hostess if she could bring the waitress over, and the hostess brought the second round.
(2)Eugene K.
The price is a bit high vs good quality. Overall I'd say it's ok but not great. But after going there a few times the seafood is fresh. I had raw clams and oysters on point
(4)