Seafood in Arlington, VA

There is a seafood place in Arlington VA that I ate at last time I was in the area. The only thing I remember about the place is that it is in a boat. Can anyone direct me to the right one?

Thanks

morris, you have me stumped. Are you sure it was in Arlington?
There really aren't any restaurants on the water in Arlington. The closest to water is Indigo Landing, which is a restaurant on dry land right next to the Potomac River - near National Airport. It's located in a marina. There's no waterfront area in Arlington. Even though Arlington runs along the Potomac, most of the waterfront is national park land.

Is it possible you meant Alexandria? There is a waterfront in Alexandria (and Alexandria is close to Arlington) However, currently, there is no restaurant that is actually on the water. There is a seafood restaurant next to the water, along the pier.

Of course, it's also possible that a boat/restaurant was docked in Alexandria and was open for business for a short time. I'll ask my other buddies who have been in DC longer than me. (I've only been here 7 years).

No, I can assure you I was sober-- maybe, I don't really remember.

I was just informed that my recollection of the "joint" isn't too good because it was not a boat on the outside, but it looked like a boat on the inside. The outside, as I am told, would make you second guess your desire to eat, but there's a beautiful inside with a large seafood infested buffet.

Could this possibly be "Philip's Flagship"

So, I checked around my office asking some of the older folks who've been around DC/VA for quite a number of years and no one recalls a seafood restaurant that was a boat -aside from some river cruise boats, and most of those are at port in DC.

I remeber visiting someplace where there was a restaurant that was a barge and it was permanently fixed to a waterfront area...but I can't recall where I was visiting. I want to say Philly, near South Street...but I'm not sure that's right either.

Philips is in DC and Baltimore. Maybe another.

A few locations... but none of the others in Alexandria or Arlington.

Morris, what did you eat that has you wanting to go back? That might be better than knowing the restaurant may have decorated with port holes as many seafood places do this and have horizontal running wood all over the place.

This is actually information for my mom, my sister, and my sister's future husband. I went with my mom, my sister, and my brother a few years ago, maybe 2-3. My only memory of this place characterizes it as, on the outside, a piece of crap, and on the inside beautiful-- boat-like and highly tasty.
We think we might have found it (Philip's Flagship), but if anyone finds differently then be my guest to nay-say.

Thanks for your help, if anyone comes thru the Burlington, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill area, then I can aide them in great places to eat here.

i95

 
I wonder if what's being referred to here is either Arlington, Virginia's best kept secret (when it comes to fresh blue crabs, at least) the Quarterdeck Restaurant on Fort Myer Drive or Captain C's Restaurant on South Eads Street (the latter of which I've never been to nor know of anyone else whom has)
 

 
 

*** UPDATED 11-29-10 ***

Bad news Arlingtonians (and anyone else seeking crustaceons at the above

mentioned Quarterdeck) as the more than three decade old place is...

 

 

...with the owner claiming both lease issues as well as repairs

to the nearly 70-year-old building housing the restaurant.

 

 

 

quote:

Originally posted by i95

I wonder if what's being referred to here is either Arlington, Virginia's best kept secret (when it comes to fresh blue crabs, at least) the[url='http://www.qdrest.com/']Quarterdeck Restaurant[/url] on Fort Myer Drive or Captain C's Restaurant on South Eads Street (the latter of which I've never been to nor know of anyone else whom has)

I'm a big fan of the Quarterdeck. No buffet, but darn tasty. Let's keep that a secret. It's crowded enough as it is.

Sorry, I didn't pick-up on the buffet-thing. And "yes" to keeping the Quarterdeck our little secret.

Captain C's is my only guess. I haven't been there, although I have been to several of the other restaurants on restaurant row in Arlington.

Quarterdeck, eh? the secrets out now! I wondered if that was any good. Thanks for the tip.

There used to be a seafood restaurant in the Rosslyn area called the Lighthouse that had pretty good seafood.

There are no "boats" in Arlington. Perhaps you were thinking a "boat-shaped" wonderful salad bar: Tom Sarris' New Or;eans in Rosslyn. Very touristy. Instead, try Pistone's Italian Inn - a true local secret.

The Quarterdeck is both "OK" and "Roadfoodie", but hard to find. It's great for a sweaty night and beer where beer is primary: http://www.qdrest.com/

If you like fried shrimp, try Metro 29 Diner - corner of Glebe & Lee Hwy (29-211 & 120). It's the best L.I. - style diner we've found outside of L.I.

Avoid the Maine Ave. (D.C.) tourist seafood joints like the plague. Johnny Mandis' Market Inn is very good and was featured on FTV. The Oceanaire is excellent if $40/plate + booze is in your range.

quote:

Originally posted by MetroplexJim

There are no "boats" in Arlington. Perhaps you were thinking a "boat-shaped" wonderful salad bar: Tom Sarris' New Orleans in Rosslyn.

that's closed now.

 

 

 

See highlighted 11-29-10 update as to the closing of

Arlington's Quarterdeck restaurant seven posts above.

never made it there, either. darn.
 
I just don't get out to Arlington as much as I used to when I lived in NW DC. Now on the NE side, when I go to VA I go to Old Town. Mostly, now though, for seafood, I head to small towns along the bay, tributaries, or Annapolis.
 
 

Speaking of Arlington, Virginia and decent seafood, I finally had a chance to dine at...

 

2500 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201  703/525-2828

 

...this weekend and was duly impressed. Washingtonian magazine (whose retaurant ratings I fully trust and admire) has long raved about the highly affordable Arlington mainstay consistently awarding the restaurant not only the magazine's coveted "Very Best" restaurant designation but also categorizing Minh's amongst its great (and seemingly RoadFood-centric) "Cheap Eats" restaurants.
 
On Saturday evening, Mrs. i95 and I enjoyed an outdoor table, shared the rice rolls appetizer ("rice paper wrapped w/ shrimp, pork, lettuce & vemicelli") and each had a vermicelli noodle with sauce over mixed lettuce dish (bowl, actually) entree with mine topped with "grilled five spice chicken" and hers, grilled shrimp. Both were superb.
 
With iced teas and tax included, the total bill was $ 29.87. Love it. And confirming the coexistence of both very good and cheap eats in the same place in Arlington.
 
Minh's web site is http://minhrestaurant.com/. Ăn ngon nhé!
 
 

i95


 

 

 

See highlighted 11-29-10 update as to the closing of

Arlington's Quarterdeck restaurant seven posts above.

I find this a bit odd since their website is still up and running and a friend of mine has suggested we hook up and eat there this summer.
 
I'll double check with her and perhaps you should recheck.
 
DT

Davwud

I'll double check with her and perhaps you should recheck.

 

 
I just did and three quick things:
 
(1)  My source of their closing was the owner, himself, and who sent an email late last year with the opening sentence, "after 31 years, the Quarterdeck Restaurant is closing." (See email here.)
 
(2)  In addition, other area media reported and confirmed the closing of the Arlington seafood haunt.
 
(3)  That all said -- and in what can only be described as some kind of TMBW (Travelin Man Bizarro World) -- Davwud is correct, THE QUARTERDECK IS STILL OPEN.
 
 
I just got off the phone with the place and while they confirm the news of they're closing, they're still in business. Go figure and FYI.

morrisjr


There is a seafood place in Arlington VA that I ate at last time I was in the area. The only thing I remember about the place is that it is in a boat. Can anyone direct me to the right one?

Thanks

This one still has me scratching my head.  I wish he had given us more clues - the primary one being how many years prior to 2008 was his last visit.
 
There was a seafood restaurant rather near Arlington that fit his description "to a T" and it was a decent seafood place:  Bish Thompson's on Wisconsin Ave. in Bethesda.
I doubt it was the Quarterdeck which even a local would have trouble finding; it is more of a bar, anyway - and he surely would have mentioned cracking crabs.  Later, he said that the exterior of the building was nondescript, so I am going to elimine Tom Sarris' Orleans House.  It's exterior was hardly nondescript and featured beef (primarily steamship round) rather than seafood.  The original Hogate's fit his description but it was torn down in the '60's to make way for the new Hogate's which itself closed long ago.  Even if he had wandered into Phillips' Flagship, which does feature a buffet, I hardly think a Carolina boy would want to return.  So, I'm thinking Bish's which was in a nondescript rectangular building with circular windows, greeted you with a sign that said "Welcome Aboard", and served really decent seafood.
 
The last time I ate at Bish's was around 1990.  At that time they didn't have a seafood buffet, but could well have resorted to one prior to the throes of closing.  Many places use this as a personnel-saving "last resort" before giving up the ghost. 

i95:  what city or town in VA has the nickname "Sin City"?
 
 

MetroplexJim

i95:  what city or town in VA has the nickname "Sin City"?

 
That would be, any city that he is in.

joerogo

MetroplexJim

i95:  what city or town in VA has the nickname "Sin City"?

That would be, any city that he is in.

We lived in Arlington and, later, McLean from 1978 - 2005 and the closest thing to "Sin City" I could come up with is the Rt. 1 corridor from S. FFX Co. through Prince William Co.  Woodbridge?  Dumfries? 
 
Or maybe Annandale will all its Korean massage parlors whose spot ads are found in (of all places) the Sports Section of The Washington Post!  I once had a "spit take" laugh when Debbie Yow (then U.Md. athletic director) was asked by a Post reporter about her allowing a local "shock jock" to have a pre-game show.  She said:  I'll get rid of (the shock jock) right after you stop taking ads from (houses of ill-repute) in your sports section!

MetroplexJim


i95:  what city or town in VA has the nickname "Sin City"?

I exaggerate. It's actually a subterranean town and it's located just two miles south of the Earth's service, under Mt. Weather and accessible via either a two-mile underground walk from the back door of a walk-in cooler in a bar in Pine Grove, Virginia or a 50-mile underground walk from the basement at 1756 Constitution Avenue, NW in Washington, DC (that little stone house across across from the White House).
 
I hope that clears up any confusion.

I just got off the phone with the place and while they confirm the news of they're closing, they're still in business. Go figure and FYI.



Let's see....nope, not at all confusing.
 
We have dinner plans for the end of next month with friends there. Hopefully they're still up and running.

If not, any suggestions for a place to go eat crabs??
 
DT

Davwud

If not, any suggestions for a place to go eat crabs??

Yup. Go here and read about Captain Pell's Crab House in neighboring Fairfax.

Sounds like a Crab-A-Demic!

i95

MetroplexJim


i95:  what city or town in VA has the nickname "Sin City"?

I exaggerate. It's actually a subterranean town and it's located just two miles south of the Earth's service, under Mt. Weather and accessible via either a two-mile underground walk from the back door of a walk-in cooler in a bar in Pine Grove, Virginia or a 50-mile underground walk from the basement at 1756 Constitution Avenue, NW in Washington, DC (that little stone house across across from the White House).

I hope that clears up any confusion.

 
It certainly does.  In fact I can even tell you something you may not know:  there was another entrance to "Sin City" hidden behind a rack in Arthur Godfrey's wine cellar.  However, Prince Talal closed it when he did the remodel in order to accomodate his harem.

Okay
 
We've been and gone from DC and I can tell you first hand the Quarterdeck is still open and sitting on the deck on a hot Saturday night with 2 lbs of large crabs and several pitchers of beer will go down as one huge highlight on this trip.
 
DT