River Crab - St. Clair

I don’t usually write restaurant reviews because, honestly, I’m not sure how many people actually read them. But after today’s experience at The River Crab, I felt compelled to share. This was my third time dining at this incredible spot, and I can now confidently say—it’s my favorite restaurant. I live in Port Huron, almost in Fort Gratiot, so it’s about a 30-minute drive, but it’s absolutely worth every mile. To start, I ordered the baked ricotta appetizer alongside one of their refreshing faux-titos mocktails—both of which I highly recommend. The ricotta was the perfect shareable dish, especially when dining with friends or coworkers. It gave us something to chat about while we waited for the main course. For my entrée, I had the parmesan snapper and shrimp, and let me just say—it was phenomenal. What really set the dish apart was the sauce. It struck the perfect balance between savory and salty, tying everything together in a way that made the flavors unforgettable. The food wasn’t the only standout. The ambiance added so much to the experience. We were seated by the windows overlooking the river, and watching the gentle waves stirred up by passing boats was a peaceful, almost cinematic backdrop to our meal. And finally, I have to give a special shoutout to our server, Caleb. He struck that perfect balance of being attentive without being overbearing. We never had to ask for water refills, yet our glasses were always full. He was kind, professional, and even had us laughing a few times. All in all, it was a perfect lunch with friends, and I truly couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience.

My boyfriend and I come here on special occasions. Lately a little more than we should. But the food is just so tempting. We also always ask for Caleb's service. He is so wonderful and always knows exactly what our taste is. I changed my 5 star to 4 stars. Corporate please stop changing the food menu. This is the one thing that will keep us from coming back. Also, we will avoid any holiday that involves a buffet. Mother's Day was not the usual vibe for the place. Also, shout out to Chad who is our go-to when Caleb is off.

All I can say is WOW! What a wonderful room, service, atmosphere, location. This was my first time here but my husband and his family came here many times. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary among great people and in a delightful place. Rooms were very clean. The king bed was so comfortable. The scallop risotto at the restaurant was to die for. We’ll be making this a yearly anniversary trip from now on. Can’t wait to return!

A fantastic place for a very nice meal. The butternut squash and clam chowder were amazing.

My wife and I ate at the River Crab restaurant at the Blue Water Inn for a nice dinner out prior to the arrival of our son. The servers were awesome and made for an excellent dining experience. The cocktail choices were fantastic and they even had delicious non-alcoholic options that my pregnant wife enjoyed. The food was delicious and the presentation was that of fine dining. I would highly recommend River Crab for a fine dining experience. The views of the St. Clair River are wonderful even though we were too early in the spring to see any boat traffic.

The restaurant always has great food. Also, Dave, our server was great. He suggested the Salmon fillet with the added Blue Crab glaze. Wow.was.it good. Thanks for the idea.

Absolutely fabulous dining. Great view, fantastic food, super service. I've been 3 times now to the Ruver Crab, and I'm glad I've finally made it. Each meal was different except for the marvelously consistent calamari in sticky chili sauce. Just awesome every time. I've never stayed in a room except the dining room, and I'm not sure I'd like the others as much. We'll done River Crab! The barkeep even made custom mocktails for my kids last time.

Love the River Crab, people are friendly and accommodating beyond request, food is great! Many family functions we have had here!! My husband and I spent our honeymoon night here- love the river! We were also here when my husband was 21 and the bill came to $21

Lovely water front dining on St Clair River! Service very good.Food delicious!

My friend and I made a last minute decision to dine at River Crab this week when we just happened to be in the area, based on the phenomenal reviews, particularly one that mentioned being worth the hour drive to get there. It's easy to see why! We truly could not have picked a better place. The drinks were spectacular, our server was so kind and attentive, and the meals...truly divine!! My friend ordered the seared scallops and risotto, as well as the gazpacho, both wonderful! I ordered the king cove sole, which I'm still dreaming about, so incredibly rich and flavorful! I'd love to try other items on the menu next time I'm there, but it will be so hard to resist sticking with the same dish that was absolutely perfect! This place is an instant favorite and we can't wait to go back!!

My wife and I have been super busy with life and decided we need a date night. We came here and WOW is all I can say. We were seated right by the window so we had a beautiful view. Our server, Angie, made our experience 1000/10!!! My wife and I have been in the restaurant industry before so our expectations are high. She blew it out of the water!! Angie recommended the special for my wife and the surf & turf with side scallops for me. Food was 1000/10! She recommended a bottle of white wine (which was delicious) and even brought me a sample of red for my steak!! How thoughtful! Dessert was straight flavor town!! We would come back to just to see Angie but having great dishes is a plus too! So many compliments to Angie and the cooks! 100% be back. Give Angie a raise though.. it’s hard to find good people.

An amazing experience! We enjoy eating out and can usually say not everything was perfect but tonight's meals were perfect. A filet with shrimp scampi and sea bass with lump crab cooked to perfection served hot and impeccably presented . Probably the best fish I have ever had. Our server, Angie, made our evening amazing being very helpful and attentive to every need. She is a keeper! Overall probably one of our top dining experiences and we've been at it for 45 years now.

We went to the restaurant for lunch and the food was amazing. The servers took care of refills almost without being seen. Five stars for them too. The restaurant is right next to the water, and the scenery was beautiful. Highly recommend.

We had the best experience thanks to our amazing waitress Shea! From the moment she came to our table, she brought personality, warmth, and so much positive energy that it completely elevated our meal. She didn’t just take our order — she connected with us, made us laugh, and somehow managed to stay on top of everything even during a busy rush. Drinks stayed full, food came out perfect, and she checked in at all the right times without hovering. It’s rare to find someone who can make you feel welcomed, appreciated, and entertained all at once, but she nailed it. You could tell she genuinely enjoys what she does, and it made the whole experience unforgettable. If you’re heading to River Crab Inn, cross your fingers you get her — she’s an absolute gem

Excellent food and service. Very accommodating staff. A true indulgence. We did not spend the night but had dinner to celebrate my birthday. I had shrimp linguine. Hubby had fish. This restaurant is as good or better than many that are in the Detroit area and its suburbs. It even beats most that are in Florida. Fresh and delicious food.

Dined at the River Crab this afternoon and enjoyed very good service and very fine dining. Everything was paced perfectly, the appetizers were amazing, the beet & butternut squash salad (with added shrimp) was the best salad I have ever had. The Sea Bass entree was delicious and plated beautifully. What a great dining experience we had!

Been coming here for over 40 years . The attention to details such as food presentation, taste, cleanliness, courtesy, the wait staff assuring that we feel like we are their most important ambition, it's all here. Have never had a second rate time. Martha their manager is on the floor every evening checking and meeting the guests, even pitches in to help the staff with their tables. We had two receptions there that were superb. Thankyou Martha and your wonderful staff. Great job!!!

We have stayed at the River Crab Blue Water Inn on multiple occasions and just recently spent several days for our anniversary. Martha, the restaurant mgr and Victor , the hotel mgr., were / are great hosts. We plan on visiting again and again. Thank you for everything. Gary & Sharon Ferro

Hands down one of the best places to have lunch or dinner . The views are amazing and food is delicious . Last but not least , the manager Martha is a sweet heart. She checks on all of her customers. Came to our table twice . She's so friendly and amazing.

Fantastic food. We both had the schnietzel chicken. Very good. Caesar salad, seafood bake appetizer and a couple of margaritas. Very tasty.

I can't speak highly enough of my experience with both the hotel and restaurant. After a rough travel day due to weather delays out of Houston, Lynn at the front desk was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating with our unexpectedly late check-in. The next morning, after I realized I way overestimated my ability to sleep comfortably in a double bed with both my wife and 16 month old 🤦‍♂️, Victor the AGM, very graciously accommodated my request to switch to a larger room. I brought my family in for dinner and everyone treated us so well. The host was friendly and welcoming. Our server Molly was pleasant, attentive, and knowledgeable. The bartender made a fantastic Negroni (I forgot his name but kudos to him). The carrot cake was easily one of if not the best I've ever had. Martha, the General Manager, stopped by to chat with us for a bit. She and her entire time were so genuinely hospitable and really helped to make our vacation a memorable one. I only get back home to Michigan once a year, but this will definitely be our go to destination from now on.

Delicious food, excellent service, and beautiful view. I especially enjoyed the cedar plank salmon and crème brûlée. They have a nice mocktail menu for those who prefer to go nonalcoholic.

Best place. .food, liquor, music.....been there a lot over the years.. my husband, Curt played there for years in the 70's & 80's. " The Tercels".

A wonderful option on the water. Excellent service and we have never sent anything back. I think we have had all on the menu and really enjoyed everything. A bit of Heaven for all to enjoy. I kindly ask that Valet is brought back for those who find the hill tough to walk down and up. Classy small town beauty.

The restaurant is very good. I have never had a bad meal. I really enjoy the clam chowder and crab cakes. The calamari is always great too.

The food was AMAZING! I ordered the Maryland Crabcakes and they were so delicious. Our server, Tyler, was very attentive. Beautiful views of the river as well. We will definitely be going here again!

Omgosh this was such a delightfully delicious surprise. My honey brought me here after horseback riding in the area. We were not familiar with the area, but the staff at the riding stable recommended it as a good option. I ordered the red snapper meal and it was to DINE for! Seasoned to perfection. The mocktails were good, too, but definitely sweet, so if you are conscious about your sugar intake, consider splitting one. Speaking of sugar, save all of your allotted sugar for the day and splurge on the chocolate truffle cake! Oh! And the view is beautiful 🤩 Our server was really pleasant, too. I can’t remember her name, but great service! P.S. the bathroom was clean!

Nice place to stay. Updated rooms, clean. They need a few more loungers for the pool area. But overall I would definitely recommend. The attached restaurant was fabulous.

I came here for my birthday.I chose this restaurant because Landry restaurants are my favorite and it has a view of the St. Clair River. I enjoyed myself even though my birthday was never acknowledged even after I said it was my birthday. I also put on the reservation it was a birthday celebration so they missed the mark completely. We drove an hour away to get here and I would come back again, but not for my birthday. Lol Everything was good from the margaritas to the crab cakes. The salmon was really good. Don’t get the broccoli it was hard and cold. They reheated it and it was still hard. My filet was also perfectly cooked. I loved the fact the restaurant is off the river. Beautiful view.

Only ate at the restaurant. Even though we had reservations which were made about 10 days ahead, we still had to wait about 30-minutes for a table. Then, we didn't get waters or service for about 10 minutes longer. However, after our waitress did appear, she took very good care of us. Very helpful, friendly and made sure our experiences was great.

Rooms are basic and not that clean. The shower didn't drain which wasn't a problem, til I saw that someone mentioned that in a review 6 months ago. Breakfast choices very limited. But the views are great, bedding comfortable, and it was a good value for the money. The service and food at the restaurant were excellent.

We went there for dinner. It was pricey, but the food was all amazing. All staff who worked here were amazingly friendly. However, our server, Angie, was friendly, accommodating and informative. It was nice to find a place with good tasting non-alcoholic cocktails. My husband's alcoholic drinks were good, but SO expensive. No holds barred, but our final bill was $200 for 2 persons. We could have eaten well for $100 if we we more cautious about the costs. Beautiful site on the river. You can watch freighters going by all day and night, even in the Winter. I love the fireplaces and the pianist. What a treat! Well worth a visit for a special event. The only negative (and why I didn't give it a 5 star) was that areas in the restaurant smelled like vomit. I think that it's the old carpet. Time for new flooring.

We had a reservation on Sunday for 13. Our table was set for 12. No big deal we pulled over a chair. We were celebrating my kids graduation and I chose this restaurant for the good food and because it’s “fancy”. I am writing this review as I was pretty disappointed for how much we spent on this meal. First the menus online didn’t match what was available which is fine I understand. But. For 5 on a Sunday the amount of items NOT available was actually embarrassing. I almost felt bad for our server who was very pleasant. But. To have to come back three times to tell me they’re out of what I ordered? Then once I chose I got something else anyway…. It was good. Barely lukewarm but tasty. 4 other members had to re choose their meals as well. My son actually said the Prime Rib is better at Texas Roadhouse. Which is sad because I chose River Crab for their higher standards. The baked Ricotta was amazing. So while the food was fine it was by no means what I was hoping for and expecting for a $900 meal. Super bummed and will not revisit based on this experience. Who runs out of half their menu by 4:30 on a Sunday and at least 5 people have to change their choice.

For our anniversary We were talked in the dinner portion of crab cakes that were covered in corn salsa which only took away the flavor of the crab cakes. My wife ordered the Scallops and they were prepared perfect, I ordered the Halibut which again were covered in corn salsa and chili oil, never tasted the Halibut. Shrimp scampi was added on and was great. We received our leftovers from our $200+ bill in a Styrofoam container and a plastic bag that I would expect to get from 7-11. We wouldn't recommend after driving over 50 minutes for this experience again. It didn't ruin our anniversary but it was a negative experience for our first time being there.

My girlfriend and I spent two nights at the Blue Water Inn and ate dinner one night at the River Crab last week. It was a first time visit for both of us . Upon arrival the hotel’s parking lot was really weird , it’s cut on a side of a steep hill , I mean really steep , 45 degree angle steep and not many parking spaces for a hotel / restaurant location . Don’t leave your parking space once the dinner crowd for the restaurant starts showing up or your parking and walking from across the street of a very busy highway . The room inside , was really nice , huge and recently remodeled . Very impressed with it . We had a king bedroom on the top floor 3 . But what was very strange is when sitting on your balcony , they have two chairs and a small table outside , you actually look right into the door of your neighbors hotel room , it was very odd and uncomfortable , almost like the Blue Water Inn screwed up the the whole design process . There are no elevators here so be prepared to walk up at least 10 cement stairs to get to your room , I’m good with it but some might not be . The continental breakfast they offer for no charge was lame but it’s included so no big deal there , no hot food just bagels / coffee . The River Crab restaurant in both our options is over rated . We got the Twilight Prix Fixed Meal , her’s the Crab Cake dinner mine the Atlantic Salmon , spent $100 without any drinks / alcohol and felt it was overpriced . Our waiter Michael was great , very friendly and attentive , really nice job on his part .

Room was awful, they “misquoted” us for the holiday weekend and charged us an extra 50.00 for the night. The restaurant was worse, sat at the bar and was served an appetizer of coleslaw and shrimp, no silverware, napkins or a drink as it sat empty as I couldn’t hail them.

High prices combined with small portions and a sullen server. I don't think she smiled once. Husband ordered the fresh lake Perch and they were out. Ordered something else - out of that too. We're not coming back.

I made a reservation for 3 on 9/23/25 for 6pm. I want to first say the food was delicious 9/10. The problem was the length of time it took to get anything. We were seated by the windows over looking the dock. I could see the whole restaurant and I would estimate there were only 4 other tables being occupied. I only saw 1 with a group of 5 or 6. The rest were all 2-3 people. It was not busy at all and I did see alot of staff working. It took 2 1/2 hours to get through this process. We started with 1 appetizer and 1 soup and 1 salad. The soup and salad took 1 hour to get to the table. Almost 2 hours to get our dinners. 1 person in our group left because they had to work early while we waited even longer to just get the bill. It was honestly ridiculous. It makes me not want to go back again.

I was really looking forward to my first time here. What a disappointment. We both ordered the perch. The sides of rice and broccoli were both bland and Luke warm at best. Perch was OK but nothing special. Not tasty. The only thing that saved the night was the key line pie. At these prices I won't be back.

I made a reservation for 8/17/24 at 5 pm to celebrate a birthday we got in the door first question was : you can’t get the window table you request ! Wow ! That’s a welcoming! Rude is not even the word ! This was out the welcoming to a first time customers then she show us where to seat . Bad impression and wait for the rest . The waiter was no too bad or rude like the girl at front but he was very busy because they were under staff so finally we ordered our dinners and so much I heard was a wonderful restaurant but reality was totally different : two perch dinners the fish had no taste no flavors at all after this experience I won’t take my family and friends there ever again I work cooking in New York City in a restaurant I know how to treat the customers ! How know my foods ! I never had an experience like that besides for the money we could went so many better places to eat some good food I usually post good reviews but this place was no good at all ! They won’t see us eating there for sure ever again!!

We have been to your restaurant many times in the past and have always enjoyed the food and atmosphere being on the river. That was wonderful as always but the food was awful! Never have I seen perch the size of smelt, the broccoli was wilted and cold. No one at our table ate any of the broccoli!

Stopped on here as a Dasher and the hostess was very unprofessional discussing my slight odor of 420 to the other waitress right in front of me. Saying they needed to get me out because I “stink”. The order I was picking up has to be made fresh and I think I’m going to unassign it because it’s disgusting she treated me that way.

We’ve been coming here as a Landry member for over 40 years. This is our first big dissapointment. We are celebrating our 43 wedding Anniversary, and made reservations way in advance for Saturday at 5:00 pm. On arrival there was confusion from the inattentive host who stated we weren’t put on reservation list and they didn’t have us down . Someone said we were already seated, so maybe someone took our seats. …Very upsetting when you’re going to spend $$$ here. First instinct was to walk out but we stayed. Dinner was good as usual, just not sharp service today. Not Happy and very dissapointed. In The River Crab this time.

I visited your restaurant Friday, August 8th with a reservation for four at 6:30pm. We were celebrating our friend's retirement and you are his favorite restaurant. We started with four cocktails and about 15 minutes later ordered four appetizers and four entrees. Thirty minutes later the waitress asked if we would like another round of drinks. No bread basket, no appetizers, no apology for the delay. Our bill would have been about $500 instead we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. A gentleman, manager perhaps, told me the kitchen was backed up and offered to pickup the cost of our appetizers. Not overly helpful since we had already decided to leave. The service standard at this restaurant simply continues to decline. If you want to have a $500 ticket you need to have $500 service. My last three experiences have been equally disappointing. Having worked in food service in a management and front of house capacity, I would never have sent these people out the door with a bill unless I never wanted them to return.

Easter Sunday food quality was unbelievable poor. We attempted to celebrate our 40th anniversary there and unfortunately it fell on Easter Sunday this year where only the buffet was available. It would require numerous paragraphs to explain perhaps the worst dining experience ever! Some of the food was simply not fit for consumption. We attempted to remain positive throughout the experience because of the special occasion where we held our wedding reception on the entire waterfront seating area thanks to Chuck Muer 40 years ago to the day and our first date 43 years ago. Food quality was again good there most recently until Easter Sunday. We were told the restaurant was over booked by 400 which was clearly evident by the long lines and people's attitudes of cutting in and starting at either end of the buffet. Just to mention a few of the absolute worst items creamed spinach, pork dish and the prime rib being placed on your plate with a gloved hand. My wife requested a more well done piece and server dipped his hand in a bowl of brown liquid and pulled out a chunk of mostly fat with a small piece of brown meat attached. Not to mention two mules for $28.00 added to our bill totalled over $175.00 for two people no extras, just the bad buffet. Perhaps the worst dining experience in the past 50 years and we have experienced a bunch. We remained positive until the morning after when we began to discuss this event. I could go on and on about food quality butthis review is already too long.

I agree with Robert's post. Seven of us attended the pricey Sunday Easter brunch. We brought another family and I was embarrassed that we picked the restaurant that was so bad. 😞 I usually love this restaurant. We couldn't get out of our seats without others getting up to get out of our seats the way the tables were set up. After a long wait in line when we got to the meat section they had only fatty end portions so I never even got any meat. When one of our guests got to the buffet almost everything was empty. The pasta was cold, one person serving for all those people was not adequate. It would have been better in the buffet. I was looking forward to the pecan encrusted fish listed that they never had. The salmon was disappointing. I didn't like anything that was served at all actually. Dessert was just okay. The buffet was lacking quality, atmosphere, overcrowded, and basically just horrid. It was a big let down for our first time out for Easter. I can cook better and that's not saying much. Do better!

I booked the waterfront room for my anniversary and from the pics it looked lovely. So turns out the hotel doesn't really facing the water for majority of 'waterfront' rooms because it positioned with its short side to the water and long side facing either the road aka city view or a parking lot aka waterfront. The building is tured at the slightest angle so technically the closest rooms to the water are somewhat waterfront. Still not what I call waterfront. And to make matters worse our room was in the middle of the building overlooking a staircase instead. This is not what I payed over $200 a night for. But believe it or not it gets worse. The doors including the front door were cracked, the locks didn't work properly and the bathroom I don't think was cleaned at all since it had what looked like an old soda spill covered in layers of dust.