Southern Maryland Seafood

So thankful this place has stayed open throughout the pandemic, it's been a real life-saver while cooking so much at home and trying to eat healthier. They usually have a beautiful selection of fresh fish filets to choose from.

The Eastern Market Fish guys! Panko (Japanese bread crumbs, aka tempura) and most other basic fish accompaniments can be found here (hush puppy mix, old bay, etc)! Good selection for a small place: Mussels, shad, scallops, swordfish, cod, crab meat, clams, red snapper, trout, catfish... They have whole fish, chunks, and filets. The DC local shad roe delicacy is also available right now! Their prices vary like most fish markets and they aren't the cheapest (sometimes cheaper than Harris Teeter or Safeway), but their quality is much better. Eg. Tuna steaks? $14.50/lb. ($9/lb at the Marina) Wild caught Alaskan king salmon? $20/lb. If you want the *best* prices and selection, go to the the Washington Marina on the waterfront. However, this place more metro accessible, and definitely not as smelly. My favorite thing is to pick up a fresh catfish filet($8/lb) after work, egg wash it, bread it with panko, and fry it on a skillet (add oyster sauce if you're really advanced). The guys behind the counter will also have advice and suggestions if you need help choosing or preparing a fish. Tip: They usually close a little bit earlier than the rest of the market, especially on weekdays. And on an ethical note, I have been trying to buy sustainable fish more recently via Monterey Seafood Watch (sorry red snapper, I had to give you up, hello bay scallops)! http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_recommendations.aspx

My partner I used to buy fresh fish from here on a regular basis. But quality has slipped significantly. In fact, the last two purchases -- lump crab meat and sable fish -- were both bad. Both gave a remarkably strong ammonia smell after being cooked. Last night's ruined dinner was the last straw. We'll not shop there again.

The flounder I get here is amazing, such a great dinner! They have Maryland lump crab on ice by the pound- a great treat & really well priced.Whole fish can be cleaned & prepared for grilling or they have salmon, branzio & red snapper!

I do not understand the negative reviews. I have lived on Capitol Hill for almost 25 years and have shopped almost weekly at the Eastern Market location of Southern Maryland Seafood. If you do the math, that means 50-1000 times. I have rarely been disappointed - although I admit that it can be expensive and I only buy whole fish or fillets, and not shellfish. The only other reasonable option would be one of the fish markets on the waterfront. While less expensive and a larger selection, you have to factor in travel, parking, and getting the seafood home while still fresh.

I love this place. As a single person in the pandemic, they kindly cut the fish to a single serving each time I come! Pre-pandemic when I hosted a dinner party they kindly offered a sample of some wonderful spices to elevate my salmon. I am so glad they have stayed open and love this local spot!

The fish here is usually quite good. The staff can be really impatient and dismissive though, even when there is no one in line. A bit like shopping in France, where the customer is always lucky to be served. I'm not sure I'll be back. I understand that COVID has everyone on edge, but my experience was not good.

I just watched an employee in red knee-high boots pee in the bathroom, pick his nose, and DID NOT wash his hands. He walked right out of the bathroom and went back to work behind the counter. I will not be buying fish from here.

Quality, especially that of the staff, is absent here.We moved here a few months ago and have tried on several occasions to purchase seafood from them. Each time, even when the market is completely dead, the staff will pay little to no attention to you. Today was the last time I shop there. My wife purchased a 1lb salmon filet which she asked them to cut into two 0.5 lb portions. She came home and after opening the package, found a 0.8 lb and 0.2 lb cut. The smaller cut was literally the width of two fingers, at best. I don't know what the butcher was looking at when he cut the filet, but this level of service is not worth $14.99/lb for farm raised salmon. Go to Harris Teeter instead.

Second time in 6 months that we've gotten scallops from here that weren't as advertised. On both occasions we purchased, what was advertised as, "dry" scallops. It's a more expensive, less processed type. On both occasions we were sold "wet" scallops. The annoying thing is the sign said "dry" & they were $35/lb.They've lost our business permanently.