O'Donnell's Market — Restaurant in Rockville

Chances are if you’re reading reviews before deciding which seafood market to shop at, you’re familiar with the feeling of getting burned by bad service or a crappy product. Perhaps you’re also familiar with making a complaint, only to hear the manager or owner tell you “We’re so sorry,” and “This won’t happen again,” all the while knowing that there’s virtually no chance that anything is actually going to change about the way they operate their business. We can all tell when someone is just going through the motions of resembling customer service only up until the moment you walk out or hang up the phone, and then it’s back to business as usual. Be it politics or pizza, you don’t have to look far to find disappointment or frustration these days, and when it comes to spending your hard-earned money in this economy, the margin for error is getting smaller and smaller. Enter O’Donnell’s Seafood and Bakery. This modestly sized shop is putting on a master class in customer service, quality assurance, and demonstrating passion for your craft. This week I had an upsetting experience at their shop. It happened after a long day at work and all I wanted was to get home. I paid for my stuff and left without saying anything, but had a little trouble letting it go. I called the shop and asked to talk to Bill, the 4th generation of O’Donnell’s owner/operators. I told him about the upsetting experience, and you’ll just have to trust me when I say, I know for a fact that he was as upset as I was. I, and anyone else who has the pleasure of speaking with Bill, can immediately tell how important it is to him that the customers feel heard and walk away trusting that a mistake is just that, a mistake. Not carelessness, not indifference, not ignorance or negligence. A mistake that anyone could make, and more importantly, one that won’t happen twice. I could immediately discern that Bill’s priority was restoring my faith in his business, not just putting a band aid over the problem. And that’s what he did. In addition to giving me his time when I called during peak business hours, the next day I got a text message from the service that processes their credit card payments notifying me I had received a refund. Bill took it upon himself to narrowing down the time I had been in the shop and deciphered which transaction was mine. And once he found my transaction, he refunded EVERY product I purchased that night (over $100). He also called me and left a voicemail once again conveying his apologies and reiterating his shared disappointment over the incident. It was a pleasant surprise receive the refund, but it was never about the money. I could have easily walked away from my experience in the shop feeling like now I needed to find a new place to buy my fish, (a real inconvenience when there are already relatively few places to find similarly premium quality products). But I don’t have to do that because Bill showed with his actions, not just his words, how important it was to him to make the situation right. Now even more than before, O’Donnell’s has cemented itself as a trustworthy, and more importantly, and honorable brand in our household. When it comes to treating yourself to good food or sharing a meaningful meal with your family, it is well worth stopping by to dine-in or take out. Their seafood is fresh, their pastries are decadent, and their values uphold the test of time as proven by their over 100 years in business. I look forward to my next visit, Bill. Thank you for your hard work and...

Sadly, just one star. Have been unconditional  patrons and fans of  O'Donnell's for many years and left positive reviews.. Never had to wait, orders were always ready, or almost ready by the time of the arrival.

Several months ago made us wait, and started to shuck oysters only when we arrived. Lucky for us there were two people doing that , so we waited for 10 minutes being in the way of other customers which was not fun.

Yesterday, on the 26th, we called, established the time for a pick-up, asked if they needed a heads up 15 minutes before arrival, but they said no. When we arrived 2 minutes before the deadline the lady behind the counter snapped at us ( very harshly) saying she was busy - we were the only customers in the store. After waiting for some time, and customers arriving and piling up around us, a young guy showed up and started to arrange oysters for schucking. I asked why the order was not ready,  he said they have been very busy. The guy was nice, but there wasn't anyone around to help him. We  realized we would have to wait  for at least 20 minutes and we left.

I understand what being busy means,  but you had our phone number, and you could have called and asked for extra time.  Or you could have told us when we called  that you needed more time. In this case, we would have rearranged our schedule for you - we are just two miles away. Instead, the lady took the order, treated us badly upon arrival , and left us with  the only option - leave. We do understand oysters can't be shucked in advance, but, somehow, you managed not to keep us waiting before. It is not our first order here. The service started to slip up in the past year. Very sad, it was such...

This review is long, long overdue. At this point, I think it would be safe to say that I'm a regular at O'Donnell's. For the longest time, this area has been lacking a top-notch seafood market. And then, O'Donnell's arrived.

Where do I start? The profound freshness of the fish and shellfish? It's impossible for me to buy fresh fish anywhere after purchasing it at O'Donnell's. The salmon is heaven.

In the same way that people love wine, I love oysters. Their wide array of oysters from Duxbury's (amazing) to Malpaque's are wonderful.

The consistency with the prepared hot and cold dishes? No stop at the market is complete without buying one of their delectable salads and potato options. I frequently crave their crab cakes.

The outstanding staff? It doesn't matter if I go to the market in the morning on a week day, or in the middle of one of their weekend rushes- the service is always excellent. The staff, led by Bill (a consummate professional) - are always knowledgeable and friendly- making suggestions when I can't make up my mind in what I want because everything is so tempting. Or, in ensuring that what I and other regulars are looking for is always available to keep you happy. The staff goes the extra mile in offering to prep lobster tails for grilling or broiling, or to clean soft shell crabs, and shell/de-vein your shrimp.

Or, the excellent bakery? Dulaney's creations epitomize eye and mouth candy. I am not a sweets person, but everything she makes is heaven.

My week is not complete without a visit to...