Lobster Maine-ia — Local services in Chantilly

This is the best place for New England seafood in the DC area, hands down, no contest. They also have fantastic fresh Mid-Atlantic, Carolina, and Gulf Coast seafood, as well as rotating selections from farther afield. We buy almost all our seafood here. It's super fresh, super delicious and the prices are excellent. They are originally a wholesaler to many restaurants in the area (apparently Jose Andres buys his sea urchin from them, etc), but you can get in on the quality and the deals if you sign up for their email list and are willing to drive to Chantilly.

Their lobsters (which they will steam for you for a dollar) taste fresh from the sea, delicate yet meaty, with lots of flavor. You can also buy fresh made lobster rolls, or buy fresh picked lobster meat by the lb, along with bakery fresh rolls to diy your own lobster rolls. This is the only place we've found in the area with a proper, clean, spacious lobster pound, and it shows in the taste and texture of the meat.

The NC shrimp are also fresh, sweet and briny. The scallops are exquisite--great for a quick pan fry or broil with a bit of garlic herbs and olive oil and a big hit rolled in bacon at the holidays. The Maryland crab is top quality and tends to sell out pretty quick. The rotating fresh fish filets are always fresh and tasty, some of our favorites are the swordfish, rockfish, haddock, and cod. They also have great deals on tuna, salmon, etc that seem to sell out regularly (we aren't big on red fish).

You can order ahead for curbside or carryout or wander in during regular hours and see what looks good in the case/pick your lobsters from the pound. Some things sell out, but there are always great things available--just ask them what they've got in that day.

It's also a locally owned small family business. Maine family married into VA-NC family; seems like most of their suppliers are longstanding relationships, which is how they manage to get the best, freshest stuff this far from the coast.

As expatriate New Englanders, this is where to satisfy those...

I don't know how this place got such high ratings. Maybe they used to be good and honest? I ordered four 4lb lobsters on Friday for my son's birthday dinner and when I opened the bags once I got home, one of the lobsters was pretty much inedible.   The claws were broken off from the body and practically hollow.  I was so upset and disappointed.  If one lobster was just smaller than other lobsters, I still would have been OK with it. However,  it was not just smaller in size, but there was nothing there.  I couldn't even put it on the table for the birthday dinner.

I was going to drive to the store the next day, but I was just too tired to bother.   So, I emailed the store about it that I really can't understand how this could happen.  Whoever steamed my lobsters knew about this 4th lobster being completely unacceptable quality, yet still put it in the bag and gave it to me.  This is not an acceptable way to run business.  I wasn't looking for a bargain here, I spent $290 for 4 good size lobsters .  What I asked for was four lobsters each weighing 4lb, not a total of 16lb with combination of lobsters including a defective one.  I really wanted nice big lobsters for my son and my family, and I had to scramble to prepare extra food because I was short of a supposedly a 4lb lobster!

What makes me more upset is that they didn't even bother to respond to my email, trying to resolve the situation.

Be sure to check your lobsters before leaving...

Made the long drive here after having their lobster meat. My BIL/SIL brought some to an occasion we hosted and we loved it.

It's location is not where you would expect to find a seafood shop. When we pulled in, we sat in the car looking around the mostly desolate parking lot wondering if we were in the right place. We eventually made our way inside when suddenly several other patrons filed in. The retail space is tiny and very loud due to the live fish tanks only steps away. The regulars were getting annoyed with us-first timers because we didn't know the routine and I guess we were taking too long in front of the display case.

Staff is very friendly and excited to tell their story and about the quality of the fish they sell. Prices are quite high but expected given that the seafood is never frozen.

They attend several area farmers markets so you can call in an order and request it to be "delivered" to one of the farmers markets for your convenience.

The quality and size of the fillets are top notch. A typical fillet can easily feed 2 adults. Lobster meat by the pound is prepared as you wait.

Locals are lucky to have this store in their area. The food quality is worth the drive if you live in Maryland and you're willing to fight the traffic to get there. They will provide a robust bag of ice to keep the fish cold for the...