The Captain's Boil — Restaurant in Richmond

Customers beware--read the All You Can Eat information CAREFULLY. In summary, the waiters aren't looking out for you. They're looking out for the business.

Their All You Can Eat promotion is posted on their tissue box on the dining table. One side of the tissue box has the picture of shrimp, mussels, and fries and it states "All you can eat! Shrimp, mussels, & fries." The other side of the tissue box has the detailed terms and conditions for participating, and does NOT specify that the all you can eat is ONLY for shrimp, mussels, and fries.

My friends and I were introduced to the promotion by a waiter when we sat down. We quickly saw the picture side of the tissue box, but spent most of our time reading the terms and conditions side. To be very fair, we forgot that the AYCE only applies to shrimp, mussels, and fries even though the other side of the tissue box states it. Because we forgot, we ended up ordering lobster and crab, thinking it was a good deal because it's AYCE. But in our defense...before ordering, we CLEARLY told the waiters that we want to do AYCE and we want to pay the AYCE price. The waiters should have realized while we were ordering that there could be a misunderstanding, and we would have appreciated them checking with us whether we want to order the lobster and crab given that it's not applicable for AYCE. But they didn't. Our bill came to $134 PER PERSON and at the end they told us the AYCE only applies to shrimp, mussels, and fries. AYCE price per person is around $45 by the way.

I understand that customers have the freedom to order whatever they want and waiters aren't responsible for questioning it. But if we clearly told them that we want to pay the AYCE price, I'd hope for them to have the decency to double check.

I recommend that management put on both sides of the tissue box that the AYCE only applies to the shrimp, mussels, and fries. Customers might not read both sides of the tissue box. Alternatively, have each waiter state this fact when customers are about to order. Yes, you'll earn more if customers are negligent but they go home very disappointed and some won't be coming again.

My biggest regret is leaving them a tip out of habit, because I think they...

I had a bad experience when my family and my friend's family got inside we asked to sit inside but the guy attending us said the tables were reserved, so we asked him for all eight tables. And he said yes which was strange as we got there at 6:30 pm so how come almost all tables inside were reserved and the outer space was also empty with just 2 hours to closing? I was there with 4 kids and my friend was with her 3 kids. He gave us a small table but we asked another waiter to give us a little table to add when the food came as we had no space. The third waiter brought 2 dirty plastic jugs of water and I turned around and saw everyone else had clear-looking jugs. I asked why ours was dirty looking and he claimed it was cos it was old and he should change it instead he brought 2other dirty jugs. They rushed out when getting our menu and he tried to yank the menu from my hand until I let him know I needed to see it more. Both family menus were mixed up and I called for them to separate them instead he was still worried about taking his menu away. Mind you 49 minutes had passed till the other side was still empty, and every guest that came in twos or threes without reservations was taken there. When we asked for extra water he used his dirty gloves to get water from the tap while there were a lot of filled clean jugs with ice cubes on the waiters' table. Time to pay and leave they kept standing while he waited for 3men to chat while they watched standing for 5mins. He brought our bill and my friend noticed it was extra we asked while he added a 15% tip without letting us know and almost made me tap my card for another tip, I told him we had a terrible time and service, and he claimed it was a must as it's on their menu when you are more than 6 in a group, I told him we have 2 separate bills in 2 groups of 5 and 4 so we won't pay 15%, also they were very racist to us and unkind unlike the other locations (Kingsway) which were nice. The main guy didn't care and we asked for a new bill. Till they closed at 9 pm no one used the spot they claimed...

The taste is there for their signature flavor but they upped the prices from $13/lb of shrimp or clams or mussels to $15/lb and snowcrab (the cheapest crab they have) is at$27/lb. Everything on the menu went up at least $2/lb dollars from 2018. The crab I had yesterday was not fresh, I got more shell and small legs than meat in my lb. They charge 1.75 for potato and 1.50 for half a Corn but 8 for broccoli or sausages. Pretty sure you can buy a pack for that $. Definitely overpriced. Moderate to small dinner for 2 came to $70 after tip: 1lb snowcrab 1lb shrimp 2corn( it's actually 1 small corn snapped in 2 they charge 1.50 for each half) 1wings&fries (6wings only) for $13&1 bowl of white rice. Basically 2lbs of seafood itself came to 50. Most people would enjoy 2lbs seafood each but if we ordered anymore seafood, the bill would be $100casual dining between 2.

Basically the flavor is there but you're gonna be ripped off and it's not good bang for your buck but if you're desperate for a bucket of garlicy seafood and you wanna treat yourself or a friend and apologize to your wallet later then this is the place to go. They go hardcore on the garlic but DO NOT ORDER TERIYAKI CHICKEN RICE. it's disgusting and bland and the sauce (goop) comes separately. Worth your money? No. a place for seafood lovers who want a bucket of seafood? Yes. I come here only as a desperate seafood and garlic lover.

Ps.they're Environmentally horrible : every hot lb of seafood comes in a plastic bag. Because that's exactly what we need now, is at least 1-2plastic bags discarded along with plastic gloves and plastic bib per customer. They probably toss out ~100-200plastic items per day rather than have reusable...