Captain D's — Restaurant in Vestavia Hills

It was a seemingly normal day when I decided to stop by Captain D's for a quick meal. The seafood platter caught my eye, and despite some inner hesitation, I ordered it, thinking nothing could go wrong. But oh, how wrong I was. The food seemed fine at first—crispy, fried, and just what I was expecting. But about an hour after finishing my meal, the first wave of discomfort hit. My stomach started rumbling like a brewing storm, and the pain that followed was unlike anything I had ever felt. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of one of the worst experiences of my life.

As I rushed to the nearest bathroom, the pain intensified, twisting my insides in a way that made me question every life choice that led me to that Captain D's. What came next was an eruption of the most awful, horrible, and excruciating diarrhea I had ever endured. It was relentless. Wave after wave, I sat there in agony, gripping the sides of the stall, praying for relief. The pain wasn’t just in my stomach; it felt like my entire body was in revolt. I’d never experienced something so violent from food before, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

The sheer duration of it was horrifying. I must’ve been in that bathroom for what felt like an eternity, battling the waves of cramps and the inevitable dread that came with each passing minute. The sounds—oh, the sounds—were a nightmare in themselves. I could hear people coming and going outside the bathroom, but I was trapped, unable to move until the storm inside me passed. I started to worry about dehydration, wondering if my body could even recover from the relentless assault it was under. It was a humiliating, painful, and truly unforgettable experience.

Even when I finally stumbled out of that bathroom, weak and shaking, the nightmare wasn’t over. My body was so drained from the experience that I spent the rest of the day feeling like a shell of myself, too afraid to eat anything. For days afterward, I was haunted by flashbacks of that terrible afternoon. Captain D’s had ruined seafood for me, perhaps forever, and I couldn't help but wonder if I'd ever trust a fried shrimp again. That meal was a true test of endurance and pain, one I hope never...

I went through the drive thru of this Captain Ds to order takeout for my family. I ordered the family Seafood feast which is supposed to come with 2 Large sides. It is supposed to cost $39.99, however, after picking the okra and macaroni and cheese ( which the lady said was now a premium side and an additional $3.95) and I added 1 baked potato, I pulled up to the window and was charged $59.03. I was not given a receipt when I was handed $1.00 change. They then asked me to pull to the other side of the building to wait which I did for about 15-20 minutes. When some guy ( not even in a uniform) brought my food out, I asked him for a receipt. I asked him if $59.03 seemed right to him and he asked what I ordered, when I told him he did not think it sounded right either. He ran in and got me a receipt and then said, " Oh, you ordered okra, Mac-n-cheese and a potato( I knew the potato was premium), all three of those are premium sides! I have never EVER been charged $3.95 extra for mac-n-cheese and $5.39 EXTRA for okra, And $4.59 for one baked potato with butter and sour cream!! Furthermore, they put on my receipt that I wanted extra vinegar( received NONE!), 2 4oz. Cocktail sauces( NONE), 2 4oz. Tarter sauce( received). We had no condiment but the tarter sauce, 2 sour creams and 2 small butters for 12 pieces of fish, 3 crab cakes and 12 shrimp!! I do not know what is going on in this restaurant and why these employees are overcharging people, but I am reporting it to corporate and I do have a receipt. Also, they served us cheap boxed macaroni and cheese on top of everything!! This Captain Ds has really run down from what it used to be, and considering the location, you should treat customers better or close your doors. Train your employees the correct way to charge customers and to cook like the other Captain Ds locations in Birmingham, or Please Don't do business in Vestavia!! This is pathetic and unacceptable and I will be reporting...

It’s Friday. It’s lint. So I gave it a try… and I regret it immensely. I haven’t been to a Captain D’s in 15 years, and now I remember why. It’s absolutely TERRIBLE. First, seeing as this was my first visit to this particular establishment, I accidentally drove beyond the window. My mistake… and an easy one bc there’s no markers what so ever. I positioned myself behind two cars that I thought were waiting for their food… but then an employee started to approach my car and proceed to BANG on my passenger window yelling “you passed window”. Doesn’t tell me where it is. Doesn’t help. Just screamed it and walked off.

Ok….

So, I drive around and find the window (it’s literally right in front of where you order by the way, something I’ve never seen before). Then I wait. I wait. I wait some more. An easy ten minutes. Then the same employee approaches me from the left side of my car now and as I roll the window down just states the price. No greeting. No kindness. Just demands payment in a tactless, rude manner. OK…. I finally get to the window to pick up my sandwich and gave a huge thank you to the SAME employee and I get no response. No “you’re welcome”, no “thank you”, not even eye contact. OK. HEY, Maybe the Spicy fish sandwich I ordered will be great?? Welp, i open the bag and it’s not what I ordered but instead a standard fish sandwich, only this “fish” sandwich is almost exclusively fried greasy batter and the smallest amount of fish I’ve ever seen.

I couldn’t even finish it. It was the single worst sandwich I’ve never had. And for $6? Forget it. I’ll head across the street to Arby’s to get ACTUAL fish sandwiches- 2 for $6.

This was an absolutely dreadful experience and I have validated why I haven’t been to a Captain D’s in 15 years. Maybe in another 15 years I’ll give it another try, or better yet? They won’t be...