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Legal Sea Foods - Bethesda: Restaurant Reviews

7101 Democracy Blvd., Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 496 5900
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Ranked #63 of 204 restaurants in Bethesda
Price range: $20 - $40
Cuisines: Seafood
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Restaurant details
Good for: Entertaining clients
Dining options: Dinner, Reservations
Dining style: Casual Dining
Description: The signature dish at Legal Sea Foods – really fresh fish. Maryland is known for its crab cakes, and ours makes waves. Come for the seafood – over 40 varieties of fresh fish and shellfish served throughout the year – and stay to shop. Our convenient restaurant location on the second level the Montgomery Mall will get you hooked. With parking right outside our entrance, steer a course for seafood directly to us. In season our patio is a popular lure for those who want the fresh seafood and fresh air combo. Legal Sea Foods has received a boatload of accolades including “Best Place for Great Seafood” (Washingtonian Magazine, 2008), “Best Crab Cakes” (Washingtonian Magazine, 2008) and the honor of serving our legendary New England Clam Chowder at every presidential inauguration since 1981.
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38 reviews from our community

60% Recommend
    11
    12
    8
    6
    1
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
There are newer reviews for Legal Sea Foods - Bethesda
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Los Angeles
Top Contributor
80 reviews 80 reviews
38 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 23 cities Reviews in 23 cities
37 helpful votes 37 helpful votes
“Good Food and Service”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 8, 2012

We went here multiple times (incl. lunch and dinner) during our recent visit, and each time, the quality of service stood out because it was never an issue. They do also customize certain orders, so if there's something you see on the menu that you'd like to tweak, I'd encourage you ask them while ordering since it's probably something they can accommodate.

As far as the food is concerned, here's a quick summary of our experience:

1. Fish and Chips: *Very* mediocre, sadly. Recommend to skip entirely.
2. Grilled Meditteranean fish with hummus and pita chips: Neat concent, and above average ony for the pita chips. Maybe ask for the hummus on the side and more than the default of three (just three!) pita chips if you must try it.
3. Wood-Grilled fish: Excellent
4. Coleslaw: Average
5. Fries or Mashed Potatoes: Excellent
6. Lobster: Very good

I also know clam chowder is one of their most well-known and -liked menu items, and although I didn't confirm that, those with me did.

  • Visited December 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
San Francisco
Senior Contributor
47 reviews 47 reviews
39 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
“Best Clam Chowder”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed November 23, 2012

We've been coming to this restaurant for years. It's located inside Montgomery Mall and we can always count on fresh, quality seafood that is served. We love how they bring you out a nice soft dinner roll after you've been seated - somehow these rolls are just so good! We also love their clam chowder which is my favorite - it's so good and not thick as a milkshake like at some other places. I would go here just for the clam chowder. You can't go wrong with any of their wood fired entrees - I had the wood fired scallops and they were delicious. And there's ample parking since it's located in a mall!

  • Visited August 2012
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Bethesda, Maryland
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“love this restaurant”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 5, 2012

I very much enjoy their TUNA BURGER. i never get the roll but eat it with their rolls which are excellent. I have suggested that they provide a better roll, but so far they haven't.

Visited September 2012
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Ask Rita K about Legal Sea Foods - Bethesda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Verona, Wisconsin
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
11 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Excellent service and seafood”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 5, 2012

I was visiting DC for the weekend and was told to try out Legal Seafood. I ordered the stuffed shrimp which was fantastic. A member of the group I was dining with accidentally ordered a filet (of fish) instead of a filet mingon, so the waiter brought back a filet cooked to his taste at no additional cost. Everyone on staff was pleasant and helpful. We were all too full to try dessert, but I bet it would be fantastic!

    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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Ask jammerlammy about Legal Sea Foods - Bethesda
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Bend, Oregon
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
12 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“The freshest of seafood in DC”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 18, 2012

Our group loved this place! They even had a non-fish dish for one in our group(me) who doesn't eat fish! Great wait staff and attention to our table and detail! Amazing feast had by all!

Visited October 2012
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