Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine Staff
Ernie's Original Crab House, 1743 King St., is now closed.
At the end of April, Ernie's Original Crab House on King Street quietly closed its doors.
The restaurant was one of the oldest in the region, getting its start on Richmond Highway in 1943 and later opening a second location near Fairlington that was open for 42 years before closing in 2004.
James "Gil" Mao bought one of Ernie's restaurants about 40 years ago and opened at 1743 King St. in late 2007 after extensive renovations to the small white building that earlier had housed Thai Peppers.
Located about 400 feet from the King Street Metro, the 1939 building is sandwiched between the Hilton Alexandria Old Town and an office building. It went up for sale in late 2018, initially listed at $2.75 million. The building did not sell.
Ernie's Original Crab House was known for its no-frills decor and fresh seafood menu featuring steamed blue crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, crab legs, clam chowder, calamari, hush puppies, scallops and kimchi, a nod to Mao's Korean ancestry. It was open only lunch and dinner and had mixed reviews in the past few years.
Update Wednesday, May 5: A Bob & Edith's Diner will be taking the place of Ernie's Original Crab House on King Street. Read the story here!
