Clifton Seafood — Restaurant in Columbia

LOVED IT!! Labor Day was my first time visiting with this merchant on the recommendation of a friend... Well, thanks, fam! Good lookin' out! We ordered a Whiting filet fish dinner (w/fries, coleslaw and hush puppies), and large male blue crabs. While I waited, I perused the shop and read all the posted signs (clear and concise); observed how they interacted with other customers (Theresa took care of me... She was awesome!); learned how extensive their selection was of fresh fish (everything from Snapper to Grouper to Perch to Whiting and everything in betw... raw or cooked to order!); and how knowledgeable and friendly the staff is (I was offered a free cup of iced tea while I waited, and later it was explained to me why the crabs had to stay in the steamer for a few more minutes in order to avoid having all of the legs/claws fall off in the bag. I'm from MD, and that's something I've encountered a LOT! We'd order a bushel of Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs and there'd be a gazillion legs in the basket and crab 🦀 bodies with missing legs. True crab connoisseurs know that this is unacceptable because it impedes the art of breaking down and eating the crab, especially when dipping the lump meat attached to the claw in butter or sauce! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!) After approx 30 minutes, I rcv'd my order and bid everyone a fond farewell. We were like family now, and I had a feeling I'd be back!

After arriving home, we prepared everything (sauce, paper/plastic table covering for easy cleanup, hammers, shell bowl, paper towels and plastic sheath for the remote) and opened our bags. WE WERE EXTREMELY PLEASED AND IMPRESSED BY THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY of our seafood! The Whiting filet dinner had 4 large pieces of pieces of fish (which, if you're familiar w/fish, means we rcv'd an entire fish), and the crabs were large and heavy. And guess what? ALL OF THE CLAWS WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THEIR BODIES! When I opened my first crab, it was so succulent and meaty! The meat was tender and sweet, and didn't have a fishy odor (a red flag that the crab had died before it had been cooked). The fish was delicious, as well! The skin was crispy and meat was flaky and opaque, as it should be (versus clumpy and tinged w/brown, a red flag that the fish isn't fresh, but re-frozen and re-thawed). We thoroughly enjoyed the food, and I appreciated the great customer service! I WILL BE BACK!! I apologize for not submitting a picture... We were so excited to dig in, we weren't thinking about reviewing the food. I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS seafood merchant! (Only one minor flaw: there were a few bones in the fileted fish. I've had a previous traumatic experience with a fish bone, so when I saw them I kind of froze for a minute. I mean, that experience had me avoiding fish for years! But we DID go to a fresh seafood market, so I knew to be on the lookout.) Sodas/drinks, seafood spices and a few slices of cake are also sold here....

They must have a different cook from a year ago because the food is not the same. The fish was hard around the edges, some of french fries tough, hush puppies cold and could of been hot golden brown. Husband just got off dialysis and it was raining hard upon getting my food, which took too long to say no one was hardly even in there at the time. My husband did not want to make a fuss but the more we ate the fish and fries the more I said the owner/ manager needs to know about this. Told the person that answered the phone and then he end up putting the owner on the phone when he found out we had three dinners to be replaced. Wanted to come back another day but decided to push through and let him see the mess he gave us. Keep in mind I did tell him we try to stomach through the food which meant we tried to eat most of it and let it slide. Upon getting there and him looking at the food he said one plate of the fish was finished so he was not replacing it. He would only replace two plates. I said to myself fine. It was poor customer service but fine. He said the last plate looked fine which was the whole point. It looked fine but was not. He secretly had an inside attitude, and could not take constructive criticism. Upset but let him do him. I am getting to old to play games of paying about $40 for food, just to bring it back in the rain. The nerve of him to think he should not do his customers a good service by not even recognizing the food looked and appeared fine but was not. He gave me two dinners back. Seemed as if the fish was cooked over but it was the same hush puppies and some of the same fries---just reheated. Why take the food back to the kitchen reheat it and give it back to me. They are wrong if they done this. Beware of this. One of the three fish might of been placed back because only one was still hard around the edges. I could be wrong but came to the conclusion that the cook cannot cook tasty food. Been coming here for 25 years and they get worse and worse. Stop coming one time because they continually had roaches. They seem to have gotten this under control but still the fish is not what it use to be. Maybe I came on the wrong day...Allen should of been more understanding. Being tough and thinking everybody is out to get you is not a positive way to run a business...hope he just was too busy to understand. I was patient with him and his staff to not fully receive the same love back. I ordered two 3 piece dinners and got three. Did not make a fuss because I respectfully did not want to cause a uproar. Felt like I was not getting the right energy back when I had a problem with their food. Parking is bad here when it gets crowded but it use to be worth it. Hopefully they have two different cooks, but for now the owner who replaced the food put a bad taste in my mouth. Thank you for replacing the two dinners, I appreciated it even though they were still not all...

I tried this place because a family member recommended it. Wasn't impressed in 1999 and my recent visit had a taste for fresh fish. Well, remembered why I don't frequent this business in the middle of aggravation. Customer service is poor and unfriendly and so is the service. We ordered 1 Red Snapper dinner, 2 Catfish sandwiches and side order of Shrimp it took an hour and 30 minutes to get my order! You guessed right order is wrong when it did come up. One customer who parked next to me. We both put in orders almost same time; his first, mine 2nd and both were told it will be at least 25 minutes before ready. Walk in after this customer who picked up his order, where's mine who knows? People were coming in placing & picking orders. I went to the counter a total of four times before person taking orders realize this was taking way too long. Next thing that really made me angry!!!! I asked what type of fish in the container? It look like catfish, I was assured it was not catfish. Don't know what fish that was? What I can tell you it was not Red Snapper and the taste? May as well eaten tofu! Been to a lot of places and eaten at many establishments. I prefer mom & pop businesses, it's important to support them and the food keeps you coming back for more. Clifton's Seafood, you don't have to worry I won't be back!!!!! Amount of time and money $30.00 for a dinner, 2 sandwiches and side order of fish and food did not have any taste. It just was not worth it. My dinner end up in the trash, don't care for catfish because it's a bottom feeder and so did my money. Really want to say some good things about my visit, sorry there's just isn't any. My experience in 1999 was horrible and 4/12/2021 just as bad. Sorry...