Quarterdeck, Downscale, Low-Key, Maryland Blue Crab House and Bar on Fort Meyer Drive near Arlington National Cemetary

[marigoldsandy]

Two friends and I went to Quarterdeck last night in Arlington. A 30 minute wait around 5:30 pm and lots of reservation flags on several tables. The Quarterdeck is nowhere near water and when all the SUVS and other cars pull up you can't see the Washington Monument or Iwo Jima either. The restaurant itself is warm and cozy and a feels like a throw-back to days long gone. The jukebox in the bar was stacked with 50's and 60's hit and had about 100 credits on it so I loaded it up with Jackie Wilson, Gene Chandler and the like. We down a pitcher or two of the $10 Miller Lite pitcher waiting for the table. No fancy brews here but some foo-foo frozen daquiris on the menu.

A few forewarnings about Quarterdeck. First, if anyone at the table has all you can eat -- then everyone at your table has all you can eat. My friend asked if two more friends could join us later and sit just for drinks. The server explained that the friends would be charged for AYCE if they sat at our table otherwise they would have to sit in a different section with a different server. A bit off putting indeed. In fairness when we called ahead we were told about this policy. The AYCE crabs come only with baskets of fries, no hushpuppies, no corn, no potatoes. No corn or hushpuppies available, period. Also, Old Bay is not used to season the crabs, a salty, chip-like knock-off version is used instead and IMHO was not as tasty.

The crabs however are wonderful. Several tables around us ordered Jimmies and they were huge. So big I did a double-take several times questioning whether or not these were Maryland crabs. They were and they were beautiful. Our AYCE crabs were small but delectable. The meat was warm, juicy, flavorful, fantastic. We ordered a dozen at a time and stopped at three rounds.

It was fun to watch the families, couples, military folks, etc. around us. A little girl got scared when a bee swarmed around the table and jumped back. Her father smashed the bee with the mallet and then all surrounding tables laughed when he commented about whether or not he would use it to finish his platter.

The AYCE price was $30/person. I regretfully did not get the price for crabs by the dozen. All in all wonderful crab, quite lacking on ambience, service and frills.

A decent place for those without a car looking for somewhere local in the city. We were torn between here and Dancing Crab and decided to give a new place a try.

[Sthitch]

marigoldsandy said:

A few forewarnings about Quarterdeck. First, if anyone at the table has all you can eat -- then everyone at your table has all you can eat. My friend asked if two more friends could join us later and sit just for drinks. The server explained that the friends would be charged for AYCE if they sat at our table otherwise they would have to sit in a different section with a different server. A bit off putting indeed.

I am not sure why this is off putting. The policy makes a great deal of sense. It not only prevents the abuse of people who are just joining for drinks sampling some of the crabs, but also eliminates the uncomfortable situation when a server sees a non-eating guest sampling some of the crab and having to notify the patron that they are being charge. I can imagine that someone would then complain that all they had was a taste of crab and they shouldn't have to pay $30 for just a small piece of back fin.

[Joshua Grinnell]

We went here for a pre-fireworks dinner, since it's a short hop to the Iwo Jima memorial. The all-you-can-eat crabs are a pretty good deal; we didn't have time to sit and pound, however. Unfortunately, the other bits on the menu might not be so good. The crab cakes didn't have much crab in them. The crab that did find its way into the sandwich seemed to mostly consist of various veins, arteries, and assorted other viaducts.

I, er, had a burger at a crab place, which is terrifically dumb. I wasn't craving crab like my date was. Either way, you're not going to go there for burgers, so I'll leave it at that.

Take a group of crab fiends who can sit for an hour or three and you'll be quite happy.

[JoeHoya]

I'm not sure why, but I'm surprised that there are so few posts for Quarterdeck. This place has been a favorite of my wife's and mine for years now. But it always amazes me how under-the-radar they fly. Even their web address - www.qdrest.com - seems designed to avoid notice.

We just did the All-You-Can-Eat deal with my parents tonight for my birthday. The price has gone up to $34.50 per person, but it's still a great deal. The fries and the crabs come out nice and hot, and the seasoning catches up to you after the third or fourth crab.

As a previous poster mentioned, there's really no reason to visit Quarterdeck if you aren't planning to enjoy crabs in some form. The rest of the menu (expansive as it is) tends toward basic bar food. They do offer a full bar, allowing my parents to enjoy margaritas with their crab feasts.

A great summer tradition - it'll never win a RAMMY, but it's a hell of a neighborhood joint.

[liz2041]

I'm not sure why, but I'm surprised that there are so few posts for Quarterdeck. This place has been a favorite of my wife's and mine for years now. But it always amazes me how under-the-radar they fly. Even their web address - www.qdrest.com - seems designed to avoid notice.

We just did the All-You-Can-Eat deal with my parents tonight for my birthday. The price has gone up to $34.50 per person, but it's still a great deal. The fries and the crabs come out nice and hot, and the seasoning catches up to you after the third or fourth crab.

As a previous poster mentioned, there's really no reason to visit Quarterdeck if you aren't planning to enjoy crabs in some form. The rest of the menu (expansive as it is) tends toward basic bar food. They do offer a full bar, allowing my parents to enjoy margaritas with their crab feasts.

A great summer tradition - it'll never win a RAMMY, but it's a hell of a neighborhood joint.

Because we were trying to keep it a secret! Kidding. I agree. It is our go to local place for crabs. The service tends to be on the poor side paticularly for tables bigger than 4, but once you get your crabs who really cares. I usually find them to be cheaper than Captain Pell's. We order by the dozen as it seems from looking around at other tables that the all you can eat crabs are smaller and come out of the kitchen more slowly. But maybe it is just the budweiser in the solo cups getting to me though. And the allure of the plastic tables and chairs outside with the usual threat of evening summer storms looming overhead adds even more to the appeal.

[mdt]

Because we were trying to keep it a secret! Kidding. I agree. It is our go to local place for crabs. The service tends to be on the poor side paticularly for tables bigger than 4, but once you get your crabs who really cares. I usually find them to be cheaper than Captain Pell's. We order by the dozen as it seems from looking around at other tables that the all you can eat crabs are smaller and come out of the kitchen more slowly. But maybe it is just the budweiser in the solo cups getting to me though. And the allure of the plastic tables and chairs outside with the usual threat of evening summer storms looming overhead adds even more to the appeal.

You were not influenced by the bud. Here is the policy on the AYCE from the web site.

Our Crab Feast Policy

We serve our "Feast" size steamed crabs - the smallest ones we carry - on an all-you-can-eat basis. However, if you opt for Feast crabs, all members of your party must participate in the Feast. If not all people in your party would care to eat crabs, please feel free to order our sized crabs by the half-dozen or dozen.

[dcs]

This sucks. It may never have ranked high in the Dining Guide, but it was sure a nice place to sit and crack crabs over a pitcher or two of beer. The whole thing sounds so stupid. The landlord will never find anyone else to rent that place. It is too old and weird. It most likely is a teardown to be replaced with something without soul. I am starting to miss Arlington.

[liz2041]

This sucks. It may never have ranked high in the Dining Guide, but it was sure a nice place to sit and crack crabs over a pitcher or two of beer. The whole thing sounds so stupid. The landlord will never find anyone else to rent that place. It is too old and weird. It most likely is a teardown to be replaced with something without soul. I am starting to miss Arlington.

+1

I have finally started to get over the demise of all my favorite dives in Clarendon over the last 10 years and now this? Granted service was always hit or miss and the crabs were insanely cheaper if you got them at Capt. White's and ate them at home. But sometimes you just like to go sit outside on a 90 degree day in a crappy plastic chair, drink crappy beer out of a plastic cup and have someone plop the crabs down right in front of you all hot and steamy and full of meat. There was no other place in town to do this but at the Quarterdeck in my opinion. I will add it to my list (Bardo, Queen Bee, Strangeways, Little Viet Garden, that place on Wilson that had the patio shaped like a boat, etc., etc.) and miss it terribly in the way you miss an annoying relative that is really fun to get drunk with 4 or 5 times a year.

[beachgirl54]

+2

I hadn't been in a while but will miss the fact that The Quarterdeck was always there, and that I could go if I wanted to . . . and I'd add Amdo and Roratunga Rodeo to that list (I still have my matches from there).

+1

I have finally started to get over the demise of all my favorite dives in Clarendon over the last 10 years and now this? Granted service was always hit or miss and the crabs were insanely cheaper if you got them at Capt. White's and ate them at home. But sometimes you just like to go sit outside on a 90 degree day in a crappy plastic chair, drink crappy beer out of a plastic cup and have someone plop the crabs down right in front of you all hot and steamy and full of meat. There was no other place in town to do this but at the Quarterdeck in my opinion. I will add it to my list (Bardo, Queen Bee, Strangeways, Little Viet Garden, that place on Wilson that had the patio shaped like a boat, etc., etc.) and miss it terribly in the way you miss an annoying relative that is really fun to get drunk with 4 or 5 times a year.

[DonRocks]

+3

I haven't been to the Quarterdeck in years, but I've always thought of it as the black rhinoceros in Namibia - I may never see one, but I'd be sad if it went extinct.

[Black Bear]

Sadden, but not surprised. Quarterdeck used to get a lot of lunch business from Ft Myer pre 911 as there used to be a gate along the fence and no security at the main gate down by Iwo Jima. They closed the walk thru gate, and the security at the main gate adds 10 minutes or more to your lunch now. You'd still see a few retired military now contractors working at one of the beltway bandits, but to be honest haven't seen a lot of that the past year or two. They had a decent hamburger, or what we thought was a decent hamburger, before Rays came along and spoiled everyone.

Hadn't thought in a long time about that Vietnamese seafood restaurant that was shaped like a boat located near where VA Square is now. They did have good crabs and fun outside dining. Really miss Little Viet Garden, but what can you say. Saw in today's post where Springfield Mall may go belly up and the article made mention of how 7 Corners used to be an indoor mall. We used to eat at that mall fairly often at the Italian restaurant there, the old guy that owned it was somehow related to Pete Sampras and had a photo of him up on the wall. That was back in the day when there were two Italian Stores (two brothers - Michael and Bobby) before they closed that store for the mall redevelopment. We almost put that Home Depot that went in there into Clarendon in the old Sears space. At least it might have blocked the Cheesecake Factory from coming in......

[BookGuy]

I go to the Quarterdeck every so often for their pizza (of the so bad it's good variety) and have had several family gatherings for the crabs. It is really too out of the way to generate walk-up traffic, particularly now that you can get pretty much any tyype of food you want on Wilson Boulevard.

One of the old line places that I worry about, because it sits in the middle of development in Clarendon, is Jay's on North Tenth Street in Clarendon which is the perfect greasy spoon bar, cheap beer and equally cheap bar food. It is particularly pleasant to visit now that the county has outlawed smoking.

[dcs]

It is really too out of the way to generate walk-up traffic, particularly now that you can get pretty much any tyype of food you want on Wilson Boulevard.

That is why it is absurd for the landlord to think that another restaurant would take over that space in that location and have any chance of staying open for more than 12 months. The only reason the Quarterdeck survived was because it was the Quarterdeck and had built up decades of goodwill. If the landlord cannot find a way to preserve that goodwill, which I highly doubt he can, that site is doomed as a restaurant location.

[RWBooneJr]

Hadn't thought in a long time about that Vietnamese seafood restaurant that was shaped like a boat located near where VA Square is now. They did have good crabs and fun outside dining.

Unless I am mistaken, it was called "Chesapeake Bay Seafood Restaurant" (not to be confused with Chesapeake Bay Seafood House, where you could, in fact, get all the seafood you could eat).

[dcs]

Controversy over. All is good. The tales of the QD's demise appear to have been premature.

[petercarrjones]

Heading here tonight for a NCAA B-Ball related event and am excited to try an Arlington throwback. I presume beer pitchers and crabs by dozen are still the "must order."

[dcs]

Heading here tonight for a NCAA B-Ball related event and am excited to try an Arlington throwback. I presume beer pitchers and crabs by dozen are still the "must order."

If you like Bud or Miller Light, then definitely pitchers are the way to go. I believe that is all they have on tap. Kind of suits the place, actually. Call ahead if you want crabs to reserve some. They are not always available for walk-ins.

[dcs]

‘District Anchor’ Crab House to Open on 19th Street This Summer, by Tim Regan, May 27, 2016, on Borderstan

It appears that the owner of the Quarterdeck is opening a daytime restaurant in Rumors on 19th Street.  It will revert to Rumors in the evenings.

[dcs]

On 3/12/2012 at 6:07 PM, dcs said:

If you like Bud or Miller Light, then definitely pitchers are the way to go. I believe that is all they have on tap. Kind of suits the place, actually. Call ahead if you want crabs to reserve some. They are not always available for walk-ins.

I was there not too long ago and the draft beer selection has expanded.

[DonRocks]

On 5/28/2016 at 0:32 PM, dcs said:

I was there not too long ago and the draft beer selection has expanded.

On 3/11/2012 at 6:07 PM, dcs said:

If you like Bud or Miller Light, then definitely pitchers are the way to go. I believe that is all they have on tap. Kind of suits the place, actually. Call ahead if you want crabs to reserve some. They are not always available for walk-ins.

It looks like it's still true that you need to call ahead and reserve crabs - I never knew that until I was reminded of it by your post just now (thanks for the tip).

Note the opening hours!

[dcs]

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

It looks like it's still true that you need to call ahead and reserve crabs - I never knew that until I was reminded of it by your post just now (thanks for the tip).

Note the opening hours!

Yes.  Ideally you call at least a day or two early, at least that is what we do.  I have never tried a same day reservation. The outdoor deck can be quite popular when the weather is nice.

[DaveO]

....and is a good dive bar for you and buds.  Maybe more so today.

[NolaCaine]

Somehow the availability of crabs in Arlington escaped my  notice for the last decade.  My first visit to quarterdeck was last night. We called from the National Mall at about 4:20 to make a 5:00 reservation for 2.  We arrived and were seated immediately. 

As mentioned, their draft menu has expanded  BUT last night there were only two choices: Bud light and something not watery. (I thought I saved the receipt but didn't).

Crabs are slow to come and here's the price list from memory:
50/person all you can eat smalls.

50 for a dozen medium

75 for a dozen large (good sized large). But get this:  49$ for 6 large. I'm not the best at math but that is wonky math or I mis-heard.

This place is so dive-y I thought for a second I was on the shore of lake Pontchartrain in a camp that was about to fall into the water (Do Not Lean On the Fence).  The crabs were wonderful.

I really enjoyed it but to be clear, it's a dive look/experience at Arlington prices.

Crabs in Slidell are about a dollar each for smalls.  Oysters the same or sometimes, for 5 dollars, you can get a beer & 6 oysters. Of course if I lived in Slidell I"d probably still be working at Pizza Hut, but that's another thread.

[Simul Parikh]

Can't really compare prices from Slidell I still remember $3/dozen oyster happy hours during med school. Really gotta try out QD, sounds fantastic.

 

[DaveO]

On June 13, 2016 at 10:41 AM, Simul Parikh said:

Can't really compare prices from Slidell I still remember $3/dozen oyster happy hours during med school. Really gotta try out QD, sounds fantastic.

Its a classic dive.  Go with friends who appreciate dives.

[NolaCaine]

2 hours ago, DaveO said:

Its a classic dive.  Go with friends who appreciate dives.

I thought "dive" = cheap.  It's not cheap.  Dirty, dingy, dank, leaky, dirty, but not cheap.  I mean all of that as a complement.

[NolaCaine]

22 hours ago, Simul Parikh said:

Can't really compare prices from Slidell I still remember $3/dozen oyster happy hours during med school. Really gotta try out QD, sounds fantastic.

 

Not an MD but I went to doctoral school in CT.  I was complaining about the bland food in the entire state when some grad students started bringing me to various restaurants to try new foods. It changed my life.  I am probably going to get shunned for this but I didn't eat anything but Creole/Cajun and my mom's food until I was 23.  There was one Chinese food restaurant and one Uncle Julio's type place in the city but think mall, not regional.

[Simul Parikh]

My friend's family had a great camp right outside Slidell. Gosh I miss NOLA... 

Evening Star had their crawfish boil this weekend. So bland. 

[NolaCaine]

1 hour ago, Simul Parikh said:

My friend's family had a great camp right outside Slidell. Gosh I miss NOLA... 

Evening Star had their crawfish boil this weekend. So bland. 

Remember its name? They all had names; even though they were $hitholes.

[dcs]

This place was slammed at 5pm tonight on a Labor Day weekend when many are thought to be out of town. The crabs were great. Is this really the lowest ranked restaurant in Rosslyn?  Nine places below Piola. Piola?  Really?

[Cuddlyone]

On 6/13/2016 at 10:41 AM, Simul Parikh said:

Can't really compare prices from Slidell I still remember $3/dozen oyster happy hours during med school. Really gotta try out QD, sounds fantastic.

Sorry to be 3 months late, but I've got you beat!  In the early 1980s I had a case in U.S. District Ct  in Panama City, FL and a bunch of us went out to lunch at a super divey oyster bar.  The Apalachicola oysters were $1 a dozen served up on cafeteria trays.  You sat on bar stools facing the shuckers and they served them up in stacks of three, four, or five trays.  The locals ate them on saltines topped with cocktail sauce.  Best 5 bucks I ever spent! 

[genericeric]

On 9/3/2016 at 7:55 PM, dcs said:

This place was slammed at 5pm tonight on a Labor Day weekend when many are thought to be out of town. The crabs were great. Is this really the lowest ranked restaurant in Rosslyn?  Nine places below Piola. Piola?  Really?

It isn't the crabs - it's everything else.  I lived less than 50 feet away from this restaurant for 4 years and ate there twice.  And as a person who enjoys a good dive bar, I may have had a beer here another two times.  Of course, it IS a crab shack, and I would venture to say that Cantlers isn't worth going out of your way for in January either. But man, everything else there is pretty bad, and I would say far worse than Piola (which gets no love from me, see my rant against the frozen broccoli in that thread).  Compared to the now closed Cappys, which was putting out some really solid Nashville fried chicken last week, not to mention the hushpuppies - I'd gladly drive to NE DC over the walk to QD.

Perhaps waking up to the smell of hot, rotting crab trash every summer morning for so long caused a bias.  Some of column a, some of column b....

[DonRocks]

2 hours ago, genericeric said:

It isn't the crabs - it's everything else.  I lived less than 50 feet away from this restaurant for 4 years and ate there twice.  And as a person who enjoys a good dive bar, I may have had a beer here another two times.  Of course, it IS a crab shack, and I would venture to say that Cantlers isn't worth going out of your way for in January either. But man, everything else there is pretty bad, and I would say far worse than Piola (which gets no love from me, see my rant against the frozen broccoli in that thread).

[I actually raised Quarterdeck in the Dining Guide based on dcs's recommendation of the crabs - if they can do even this one thing well, no matter how gruesome the rest is, that's worth quite a bit, especially given its location. But my previous line of thinking mirrors what you write very closely; if I've ever had crabs at Quarterdeck, it was twenty years ago.]