Ordering Product Availability Security Payments Customer Satisfaction & Return Policy Shipping	Packaging Privacy Policy About Us Contact Us Order Tracking FAQs
Glossary of Terms

Ordering

You may place an order online 24/7 or if you prefer, call us at 1-877-611-CRAB seven days a week 9AM to 9PM EST. Should we be unable to take your call, due to helping other customers, please leave a message and we will promptly return your call.

Packaging

All perishable items are packaged carefully utilizing state-of-the-art reusable Styrofoam shipping containers and gel packs to ensure your order arrives fresh. There is no charge for packaging materials.

Product Availability

We take great pride in bringing you the freshest seafood available. Therefore, at the time you make your order, some of the items you desire may actually still be in the water! We suggest you place your order a day or two in advance of when you want your order shipped. We do not ship perishable back orders. Should we not be able to complete your order for your requested day of shipment, we will contact you and you will have the option to delay shipment, substitute items, or cancel your order.

Security

We employ a method of interaction with our customers that does not compromise credit card information. All information submitted on this website is secure. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable submitting your credit card information on line, please feel free to call us and we will conduct the transaction over the phone.

About Us

Please refer to our dedicated page.

Payments

We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover, & PayPal. Your credit card will not be charged until several hours before your shipment leaves our facility.

Contact Us

Please refer to our dedicated page.

Customer Satisfaction & Return Policy

Your complete satisfaction is guaranteed. Every item in your package is carefully inspected prior to leaving our facility. Upon receiving your package, please inspect it carefully and notify us within 3 hours of delivery if there is a problem. If your order is damaged due to negligence by us, Fed Ex or UPS, we will replace it or refund your order. Please note that we may ask you to ship the contents back to us for inspection. Refund or replacements are not honored if a delivery attempt was made and there was no one to accept the package, an incorrect address was provided which delayed shipment, or we were not notified within 3 hours of delivery.

Order Tracking

Once your order has been shipped, you will receive an email with the delivery provider and tracking number.

Shipping

Currently, we only ship within the 48 contiguous states and are unable to ship perishable products to P.O/APO boxes and rural routes. Please make sure someone is available to receive your package on the delivery date. If you are sending your package as a gift, please be sure to notify the recipient when to expect their delivery. Once your package has been received, please remove the contents and promptly refrigerate.

Full bushels of crabs are always shipped separately and shipping charges are calculated separately. When purchasing more than one bushel of crabs, please use a separate order. Shipping charges will apply for each bushel shipped. For detailed shipping information, please visit our shipping page.

FAQs

Q. My co-workers told me that the only place I should buy crabs on-line is from Maryland based companies.
A. Virginia actually shares the Chesapeake Bay with Maryland and Virginia is in fact the largest producer of seafood on the East Coast. Our reputation for crabs and other seafood stands on its own.

Q. Do you give discounts for large quantities?
A. Yes. Each request is treated on an individual basis depending upon product, quantity and destination. Please contact us to receive a quote.

Q. Is all of your seafood domestic?
A. The majority of our seafood is domestic, some is not. If you have any questions regarding a specific product, please contact us.

Q. Are your crabs male or female?
A. We only sell male crabs. We truly believe that the catching of female crabs has led to the decline of crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. Also, male crabs are the heaviest and most sought after.

Q. Is there a season for crabs?
A. Our local season runs from late March thru early November. In the off season, we source crabs from Louisiana, since their waters are warm year round. We have found, based on our experience, blue crabs sourced from Louisiana most closely resemble those found in the Chesapeake Bay.

Q. Can I order on-line and pick up my items at your store?
A. For the best service, use on-line ordering or our toll-free number (1-877-611-CRAB) for mail order only. To order items for in-store pick up, please call the store directly at 540-582-8868.

Q. Do you sell gift certificates?
A. Yes!

Q. Are the items in your e-store the only items you sell?
A. We stock and can source many more items that are not currently listed on our website. We are currently in the process of listing items every week. If you are looking for a particular item, please give us a call to see if it is available.

Q. Are all the items on your website available?
A. Occasionally, an item might not be available due to seasonal availability. Please keep in mind that when you place your order, that item may still be swimming in the water. If for any reason a fresh product that arrives in our facility does not meet our standards, it will not be shipped.

Q. Are crabs available year-round?
A. Yes! Locally the season runs from March to November. During the other months, we source our crabs from Louisiana where the waters are warm year-round. We do not source crabs from the Carolinas, Georgia or Florida – as with our experience, crabs from these waters do not meet our quality standards.

Q. Does the quality of crabs vary by season?
A. Generally full and heavy crabs ARE available locally from March to November. Earlier in the season or during their molting stage, there is an abundance of lighter crabs, but there ARE still heavy, full crabs swimming in the waters and those are the only ones we sell.

Glossary of Terms

No. 1 Male Crab – A male hard shell crab that has not molted recently and has been able to fill out its shell with meat, regardless of size. (Capt. Jack’s only sells this type of hard shell crab)

Brine - Means water saturated or nearly saturated with a salt. It is used to preserve vegetables, fish, and meat, in a process known as brining. Seafood that has been brined is of higher quality and therefore is more expensive.

No. 2 Male Crab - A male hard shell crab that has molted recently and is most notably recognized by its bright white and translucent belly. This type of crab does not have as much meat as a No.1 and as a result, weighs less.

Sook – A female crab.

IQF - Individually Quick Frozen. This type of freezing preserves freshness and allows each portion to be thawed individually.

Flash Frozen - Refers to the process whereby objects are quickly frozen by subjecting them to cryogenic temperatures.

Cold Water Lobster - The cold water lobster tails have whiter meat and are considered more tender than warm water lobsters because they grow more slowly in colder water. The cold water lobster has claws and is usually more expensive.

Warm Water Lobster – Also referred to as rock lobster or spiny lobster. They can come from warm or cold water as there are over 40 species of rock lobsters. They do not have any claws and have long antennae.

“Dry” Scallops - Scallops that are all natural and not injected with chemicals.

Wet Scallops – Scallops that have been injected with chemicals to plump them up.

Fresh – Never frozen.

Previously Frozen – Product that was frozen and then thawed.

Glazing - A method used in freezing seafood to protect flavor and freshness. The seafood is dipped in either water or another liquid and frozen in order to provide a barrier between the cold temperature and the seafood.

Molting - (or moulting) The way in which crabs grow by sloughing off their shells at periodic times in the life cycle.

Farm Raised - A description of the process in which the seafood is harvested through aquaculture. This method is fully controlled by humans in order to reach sustainability and meet demand. The opposite of farm raised is “wild caught.”

Wild Caught - Typically a fisherman or crabber fishes for the seafood out of water with an ecosystem not under human control (bays, oceans, etc).