We have the scars to prove it. For weeks, we’ve been cracking our way through dozens—and dozens—of steamed crabs, nicking our fingers on the sharp-edged shells and enduring the salty sting of Old Bay. But the battle scars were well worth it. Along the way, we got to savor our Maryland delicacy—spice-covered, hot-from-the-steamer crabs—from some of the Baltimore area’s best spots.

Tried-and-true crustacean landmarks like Costas Inn, Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn, and Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn are still living up to their reputations. But we also found some new places, too, like The Mallet in Fallston and S&J Crab Ranch in Towson. We were hoping to check out the outdoor deck at Phillips Seafood in the Inner Harbor and Mo’s Seafood in Towson, but they weren’t serving crabs at press time. We’ll report back on those later.

We also checked in with some local celebs to find out where they get their crabs. And we talked to Tony Conrad of Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market in Parkville. This local waterman takes pride in serving his fresh catch of crabs and fish at his store.

So get out your mallets (and maybe a Band-Aid or two), we think you’ll find some great places to try on our list.

Bo Brooks

2701 Boston St., 410-558-0202.It may be the hopping tiki bar parked at the entrance, but we can’t help feeling like a trip to Bo Brooks is a bit of a party. The staff is cheerful and helpful, and one’s cares are steamed away along with your crab order. And such crabs—we’ve never felt short-changed when digging into an order of jumbos here. We’re fans of their house blend of seasonings, too, which is heavy on the pepper, and salty enough to have us reaching for the beer pretty often. Luckily, Bo Brooks features Baltimore’s own Heavy Seas “Loose Cannon” IPA on tap, a bit of local support we applaud. If weather permits, dining on the outdoor deck offers a beautiful view of the harbor, and there’s plenty on the menu for non-crab people (i.e., “out of town guests”) and youngsters in your party alike.

Canton Dockside

3301 Boston St., 410-276-8900. The Gulf crabs we had on our visit were noteworthy for their heft. The claws were thick, and meat burst from the cracked body segments like a magician’s paper bouquet—clean, white, and sweet. The place is large and colorful, with globe lights (a reminder of its fancier days as Pearls restaurant) suspended from the ceiling of the spacious, carpeted dining area. Murals of local landmarks such as the Canton neighborhood, with its winking Natty Boh sign, and the Annapolis State House decorate the walls. The long outdoor deck is all business on a warm evening with packed tables looking beyond Boston Street sailboats to the industrial ships of Locust Point, and the cacophony of whacking mallets ringing across the harbor. There’s plenty on the menu for those who don’t want crab: a garlicky Caesar salad, hearty burgers, and onion rings the size of cuff bracelets, served with hot, tangy buffalo sauce and mild blue-cheese dressing.

Captain James Crabhouse & Restaurant

2127 Boston St., 410-327-8600.Captain James may be best known as a visual landmark—its main dining room is the building painted up like a ship at the corner of Boston and Aliceanna Streets—but they deserve some praise for their crabhouse, too. Located just across the street from the “ship,” the Captain James Crabhouse sports easy parking, a super casual atmosphere, and piles of steamed crabs. The friendly, prompt staff is happy to set you up with steamed crabs, shrimp, and mussels, as well as buckets of boardwalk fries. Their $30-per-person, “all-you-u-can-eat” special includes a serving of crab soup, an ear of corn, and all the mediums you can pick in two hours. They also have lots of outdoor seating, making Captain James Crabhouse an ideal spot to enjoy Maryland’s favorite culinary pastime with a great view of the harbor.

CJ’s Crabhouse and Grill

10117 Reisterstown Rd., Owings Mills, 410-363-6694.Dark and bustling, illuminated by the numerous flat-screen TVs and festive twinkle lights that encircle the bar area, CJ’s balances its devotion to Maryland’s teams with its passion for crabs. The dozen larges slid from the tray to our brown-paper tabletop within moments of our order, barely giving us time to savor the steamed oysters we’d been working on. The crabs were crusted with lumps of red, salty seasoning—a custom blend the owners have been ordering from nearby Fuchs since it was Baltimore Spice (originators of Old Bay). The current owners are three sons of the late founders, Charlie and Jean Sanders, whose initials form the restaurant’s name. It’s son Jeffrey who’s responsible for the collection of die-cast model trucks near the entrance, each displaying a Ravens or Orioles logo, and it’s Terry who makes sure the strawberries pass muster for CJ’s renowned strawberry pie.

Costas Inn

4100 Northpoint Blvd., 410-477-1975. Sitting among a sea of fast-food joints and car-repair shops with no water in sight, Costas Inn might not match many people’s vision of a world-class crabhouse. Until they walk inside. The perma-smell of crab spice in the large, open dining room, the drumbeat of mallets hitting shells and empty shells hitting buckets, autographed Brooks Robinson and Johnny Unitas memorabilia on the front wall—all instantly authenticate the place. Crab lovers have been stamping their sign of approval on Costas’s brown-paper-covered tables for more than 40 years. Doused with loads of spicy seasoning that burrows into your lips and doesn’t quit, Costas’s crabs are flown in daily from Texas and Louisiana. Be sure to place your order when you call for a reservation. The full menu offers many other options (the mushroom caps stuffed with mounds of crab imperial are a great start), but the reliably fat and perfectly steamed and spiced crabs are what’s made Costas an institution, whether it looks like one from the street or not.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant

8102 Loch Raven Blvd., Towson, 410-828-1095.Forget fancy. The dark-wood dining room is looking its age in this decades-old restaurant in a strip-shopping center. But that doesn’t stop the regulars from soaking up the ambiance. It’s a great spot to eat fat, spicy, delicious crabs. That never gets old. On this evening, there were only jumbos and one dozen of the extra larges left. We quickly snagged the 12 extra larges. In due time, they arrived at our table, now ensconced in brown paper, hot from the steamer and heavily coated with the restaurant’s custom, Old-Bay-laced seasoning. The aroma alone was mouthwatering. While we waited for the main event, we quelled our hunger with a silky cream of crab soup and a seafood sauté, generous with big shrimp and giant teardrops of jumbo lump in a wine-and-garlic sauce.

Gianni’s Italian Bistro and Crab House

3720 Washington Blvd., Arbutus, 410-242-4555.Greg Orendorff opened Gianni’s Italian Bistro in 2007, then expanded and added a crabhouse in November 2010. Though there are separate entrances and signs, the restaurants are attached, and patrons can order from either menu (and pick up warm doughnuts at the Fractured Prune inside the bistro). The crab side has a couple of weathered wooden picnic tables out front, a bar area, and televisions tuned, soundlessly, to sports. Orendorff, who owned Luigi Petti in Little Italy, created his own spice mix for the crabs, which has less salt and heat than most. He also invented the Angry Mallet soup that combines Maryland crab soup and cream-of-crab soup after spilling one into the other by accident. We also really like the crab-ball appetizers—deliciously decadent morsels, fried to a crisp exterior, with large lumps of sweet crab inside.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant

7304 Parkway Dr., Hanover, 410-712-9404.There’s nothing glamorous about Gunning’s, a family-owned restaurant with a crab tradition that dates to 1969, when Edward Gunning Sr. began serving food at the South Baltimore dive bar his father had opened the previous year. The restaurant, now run by Edward’s son, Edward Jr., has been in a distinctly unscenic Hanover strip mall since 1990. The carpet is a purple-and-green fish print, the tablecloths purple, the walls mustard yellow. But once brown paper is laid across the table, brown paper bags given to each diner for shells, mallets distributed, and the crabs arrive, you won’t care about the décor. These beauties from Louisiana, Texas, or Maryland, explain why every table in the spacious dining room is full on a Sunday night. They are steaming hot, crusted in lip-tingling spice, and filled with particularly succulent meat. Gunning’s, which has a second location in Glen Burnie, does its Maryland heritage proud.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn

458 Forest Beach Rd., Annapolis, 410-757-1311. Few experiences are more quintessentially Maryland than working through a pile of jumbo steamed crabs on the oft-photographed deck of the well-known Cantler’s, founded in 1974. The water view is not especially scenic, but it’s still a water view, and chances are you’re sharing a long table with strangers who are becoming friends, while all around you, people are laughing and talking loudly as they drink beer out of plastic cups and pull chunks of white flesh out of spice-crusted shells. Though crabs are the main attraction, Cantler’s serves salads, sandwiches, and even pizza and barbecued ribs. We especially liked the seared ahi tuna with a vinegary seaweed salad on the side, as well as the lightly dressed coleslaw. The crabs did not arrive hurt-your-fingers hot, the way we like, but they were still as fat and full as ever.  

L.P. Steamers

1100 E. Fort Ave., 410-576-9294. One of the many glowing reviews that hangs on the weathered walls of this Locust Point landmark proclaims, “L.P.’s interior isn’t big on ambiance.” We couldn’t disagree more. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more genuine spot for picking hard crabs. A handful of tables line one side of the narrow first floor. There’s also a dining room upstairs and a few tables on the rooftop deck with sweeping views of the city. We were greeted by one of L.P.’s always friendly servers, who gave us a list of crab prices and quantities remaining for the night. Crabs are priced and can be ordered individually, so we got eight larges, two jumbos, and two huges. They were all tasty, although the difference in sizes was minimal. The smell of seafood frying and crabs steaming wafted throughout. TVs hanging on the front and back wall showed the Orioles game; they were winning. On a quiet spring weekday night, we couldn’t imagine better ambiance anywhere in Baltimore.

The Mallet

2403 Belair Rd. (Rt. 1), Fallston, 410-877-2722.The restaurant space at the busy corner of Route 1 and Mountain Road has been given another breath of life after going through many failed mutations. But the new owners may have found the winning formula by offering a mix of dining scenarios, including steamed crabs. You can eat crabs at one of the high tops in the dimly lit tiki bar or head outside to the wood decks, which is just what we did. The crabs—from Texas the night we visited—were spicy and hot. Our server warned us they would take 25 minutes. We were fine with that, biding our time with an excellent cup of cream-of-crab soup (the best we’ve had in a while), delicious crab balls, and a half-pound of perfectly steamed shrimp.

Mike’s Restaurant and Crab House

3030 Riva Rd., Riva, 410-956-2784.The fact that Mike’s advertises free boat docking, in addition to the large parking lot for cars, may be all you need to know about the authenticity of this place, fastened to the side of the South River in Annapolis. The restaurant, with its knotty-pine décor, reminiscent of an old summer camp, and the long outdoor deck (with clear plastic walls when the weather is cool), is a classic. This is the kind of place you bring your out-of-town guests or simply come for the pleasure of watching the sun set upriver from the outdoor picnic tables. The trays of steaming crabs hail from a variety of areas depending on the season. There are also platters of seafood, fried shrimp and clams with tartar sauce, juicy burgers, and even an oversized Nutty Buddy paper-wrapped cone, seemingly fresh off an ice-cream truck, for dessert.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn

200 Eastern Blvd., Essex, 410-687-5994.Yes, people go to Mr. Bill’s for the fat, heavy, always-pleasing crabs, but they also head there for the retro vibe that jettisons them back to a time when Willie Don was mayor of Baltimore. The tile floor, vinyl booths, and faux-fish décor still work today. The late Mr. Bill is there, albeit only in a photo on the wall. His congenial son, Steve, now reigns over the dining room, keeping an eye on everything and everyone. Even when the crowds gather for a two-hour wait on summer weekends—reservations are only taken for parties of 10 or more—he makes no exceptions for the famous or the infamous. Everyone patiently waits their turn to dig into the steamed-to-order beauties seasoned with Bill’s secret blend, the spicy Maryland crab soup laden with vegetables, and the house-made crab dip with melted cheese, large enough to share—if you can bear to part with any of it.

Nick’s Fish House & Grill

2600 Insulator Dr., 410-347-4123. This sprawling crabhouse sports outdoor decks and indoor dining rooms with giant windows to take in the docked boats and scenic water view of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River—and it’s a stone’s throw, or, at least, a quick drive, from downtown Baltimore. As a prelude to steamed crabs, we tucked into a plateful of crispy fried oysters, which were plump and juicy, and a half-pound of steamed jumbo shrimp, mixed with a wonderful mélange of potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Since we were there in the early part of the season, the crabs weren’t being sorted by size, so we ended up with a mix of medium, large, and jumbo. It was a motley dozen from Louisiana, some light, some claws missing. But, on the whole, they were all well-spiced, and there were several heavies in the group.

Ocean Pride Restaurant & Carry-out

1534 York Rd., Lutherville, 410-321-7744.This longtime restaurant has established itself as a local destination for steamed crabs as well as other dishes. The menu is large, with freewheeling combinations of seafood, bar food, Tex-Mex, and even Italian, drawing a constant stream of regulars and newcomers alike. All that business means crabs can run out early, even on off nights, so be sure to reserve some in advance. Crabs here are seasoned with a bracing, fiery-red, finely-ground blend—good for selling lots of beer, we’d imagine. The specimens were decently hefty, though there seemed to be at least one throwaway crab per dozen on the night we visited. Service is almost exuberantly friendly, but on the busiest nights, even the best staff can get overloaded. In that case, the good vibes of the staff—and the customers—go a long way.

Reter’s CrabHouse and Grille

509 Main St., Reisterstown, 410-526-3300.There’s no need to go downy ocean for a beach-style crab feast when you can take a short trip to Reisterstown. Unless you’re sitting outside with a view of the traffic, you could mistake this colorful strip-mall restaurant, its coral walls festooned with surf and boogie boards, life-saving buoys, and brightly painted fish, for a place much closer to the sea. (The official-looking sign on the wall, outlining Ocean City beach rules contributes to the geographical confusion.) The crabs are sweet and flaky, coated in lumps of seasoning, and blackboards around the room list alternate specials in bright chalk: various oysters from the raw bar, fish gumbo, and a tropical salad with coconut shrimp. There’s a kind of Jimmy Buffet vibe, and you get the feeling that the airy room is filled with regulars. You know you’re in a place that takes its hand-picking seriously by the sink outside the restrooms, expressly for scrubbing off the Old Bay.

Riptide by the Bay

1718 Thames St., 410-732-3474. In a narrow building on Thames Street, Riptide could be one among many Fells Point bars, where the revelry routinely spills out onto the sidewalks and cobblestone streets. You’ll find that, like its neighbors, Riptide has a great selection of beer on draft and live music on weekend nights. But unlike most of its rivals, the place also offers steamed crabs by the dozen. Crabs don’t seem to be the mainstay of the menu—which serves everything from Ahi tuna, raw oysters, and seafood pasta to burgers and chicken tacos. But order a dozen, and your cheerful server will whip out a sheet of brown paper and bring on the bucket. The night we visited, we picked ours clean. As we were savoring the last chunk of meat, crunching a final ring of calamari with sweet miso glaze, the evening’s singer was starting to tune his guitar by the bar. What else could we do but order another round and settle in for a Fells Point night?

S&J Crab Ranch

2 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Towson, 410-821-6789.S&J may be a newcomer to the crab scene, but it’s made a splash with a menu that pairs traditional Maryland crabhouse fare with classic Southern barbecue. Located in the heart of Towson, S&J features a sleek, modern bar, a haystack-country-themed dining area, and a few picnic tables out front. The barbecue smelled delicious, but we’re interested in the crabs this time, and we weren’t disappointed. Our order of jumbos arrived positively smothered in S&J’s seasoning, and they were heavy, succulent, and satisfying. We also enjoyed the seafood quesadilla, a tortilla generously stuffed with shrimp, crab dip, and cheese. A word of caution, though—it may seem ludicrous to warn you about touching your eyes or licking too much seasoning; we know that’s old hat. But there is a peppery capsicum heat lurking in the crab seasoning that thrills the palate in moderation but can rise to masochistic levels very quickly if you aren’t paying attention. Best to have a cold pitcher of beer on hand, just in case. 

Ship’s Cafe Restaurant and Crab House

828 Frederick Rd., Catonsville, 410-744-1838.A sign that Ship’s Cafe is doing something right? The place is jammed on a nothing-special Tuesday night. This rambling, wood-floored, two-story restaurant in Catonsville’s Norman Rockwell-esque downtown opened in 2002, but it has the easy charm and confidence of a more established place. The service is personable and efficient, and the food is lovingly prepared but never fussy. Though most tables were piled high with spice-crusted crabs during our visit, the menu is extensive and includes local favorites like deep-fried, soft-shell crab, chicken Chesapeake, and barbecued ribs. Our Maryland crab soup was thick with crab, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, and peas, with a nice zing of Old Bay. Another appetizer was a bit of a test—a platter of scallops, crab balls, and shrimp that could have gone awry with overcooking, but Ship’s Cafe’s version was delightful. Then, came the extra-large crabs. The meat was tender and moist, and the spice coating added just the right counterpoint. Yum.

Sue Island Grill & Crab House

900 Baltimore Yacht Club Rd., Essex, 410-574-0009. A few hours before we planned to venture out to Sue Island, the restaurant called. Their shipment of crabs hadn’t come in. They offered their apologies. We thanked them for letting us know and rescheduled for a week later. We’re glad we did. Set on the banks of Sue Creek, the restaurant exudes a laid-back ambiance reminiscent of a locals’ hangout in a sleepy beach town. We devoured a baker’s dozen of large crabs, which were heavy with surprisingly sweet and meaty claws. Five sizes were available, along with $2 individual smalls (on Wednesdays only). We ate ours with sides of sufficiently greasy French fries and onion rings, and washed it all down with an ice-cold pitcher of Yuengling. As the sun set, seemingly right in the laps of happy mallet-wielding diners at the picnic tables outback and regulars chatted at the bar, we raised our plastic cups and toasted to the fact that Sue Island was worth the drive, and the wait.

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Where The Locals Go

Bob Turk, weatherman, WJZ-TV: To tell the truth, we usually bring them home and enjoy them without the maddening crowds. They are also a lot cheaper at home. Since I live in northern Baltimore County, I get them anyplace nearby—— I go to Gibby’s, Don’s Crabs, or Captain Trey’s.

Suzi Cordish, Maryland Art Place chairwoman and fundraiser and wife of developer David Cordish: Every guest we host in Baltimore­—­—whether it’s a sports­-team owner, professional athlete, mayor of a city, or head of state—­— they want Maryland crabs. We always take them to Phillips Seafood Restaurant, where they can experience hard-shell crabs or have a crab cake with a lot of great side specials. The feeling is authentic Chesapeake Bay.

John Shields, Gertrude’s: I love Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn. How can you not want to go to a crabhouse with that name? It’s a quintessential Baltimore crabhouse. What Mr. Bill’s does best are the crabs. In my experience, they have always been very heavy, with lots of meat. And the décor: This is a crabhouse design that a Hollywood film scout would definitely choose. Over the top, but so much fun.

Edie Brown, public relations, Edie Brown & Associates: We go to Costas for crabs. I hate the long drive, but it’s worth the great taste of crabs, the Greek salad, and the friendly attention of the wait staff. If it’s good enough for [actor] Josh Charles, it is certainly good enough for me.

Mickey Cucchiella, broadcaster, 98Rock: I get all my crabs from Conrad’s Crabs. Captain Tony (see our story) is on the bay everyday, and he and his wife run a tremendous local business that makes me proud to be a Baltimorean.

Brian Roberts, Orioles’ second baseman: I like the crabs at Canton Dockside. The atmosphere is great, and it is close to where we live in Canton, so we can walk to the restaurant. I also like Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn.

Sometimes, you just have to get down and dirty. And when it comes to our beloved steamed crabs, we wouldn’t have it any other way. For months, we’ve been picking and clawing our way through local crabhouses searching for the best. The blues, in many cases, came from other waters, but it didn’t really matter. As we found out, it’s really the steaming and seasoning that makes the hard shells winners. We were also paying attention to ambiance, side dishes, and service. Now, it’s time for you to get crackin’ and check out our choices, in alphabetical order!

Baldwin’s Seafood Restaurant and Lounge
baldwinsseafood.com
525 Pulaski Highway, Joppa, 410-679-0957
At first glance, you might sense a small identity crisis in the dining-room décor. The dark-green-papered walls are decorated with fox-hunting prints and horseback riding accessories. But it doesn’t take long to appreciate this Pulaski Highway classic’s ardent celebration of another great Maryland tradition: steamed crabs. Our platter of fatties (usually from Maryland or Texas) arrived promptly, and we devoured the whole dozen, plowing through an equal number of paper napkins, our fingers crusty with Old Bay. The cream of crab soup was a bit disappointing, thick with roux, but light on the lump. And the side of onion rings was a closer relative to the doughnut than the tear-inducing allium. The crabs however, hand-sorted each day by owner Charles Baldwin or one of the managers, are always reliable, and our upbeat server clearly knew about the goods. Steamed shrimp, clams, and rich, plump mussels are also available, as are crab cakes and more terrestrial offerings. But during the season, our advice is, go for the steamed hard shells. They never disappoint.

Bo Brooks
bobrooks.com
2701 Boston Street, 410-558-0202
Friendly service, a large menu, and plenty of seating are the hallmarks of this Baltimore crabhouse mainstay. Everyone at Bo’s seems ready to make sure you get what you want, when you want it. And there is plenty to want, from crab soup with just enough Old Bay and onion rings big enough to encircle Saturn to peppery, perfectly steamed crabs. There’s an engaging passel of brews on tap to help wash down the spice, and plenty to eat even if steamed crabs aren’t your thing. We could have made a meal out of the crab guacamole and steamed shrimp and never have needed to read up on all the other seafood offerings. When the weather’s nice, it’s hard to beat Bo’s breezy outdoor seating. What better way to take in the harbor view than pounding away with your mallet?

Canton Dockside
cantondockside.com
3301 Boston Street, 410-276-8900
This is a crabhouse with panache—and a view of the harbor. It has a long, shiny bar; a modern, open kitchen; several flat screens tuned to various games; and sports-figure bobbleheads eyeing you from a ledge. It also has beautifully hand-painted murals on the walls with varied scenes from Fort McHenry to Johns Hopkins as well as a fancy-patterned carpet in the dining room. But there are also a few stuffed fish on the walls to remind you that you are indeed in a crabhouse. You can also eat at picnic tables on an outdoor, covered patio in warm weather. We loved the restaurant’s version of onion rings—thick, lightly breaded slices tossed with spicy Buffalo sauce and served with blue-cheese dressing. The lush cream of crab soup with lots of meat will calm your tongue down a bit before the heavy, Old-Bay-saturated crabs arrive. We cracked and picked in utter pleasure.

Captain Harvey’s Restaurant Crabhouse
captainharveys.com
11510 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, 410-356-6688
The crabhouse at Captain Harvey’s is next to, but separate from, the main restaurant. While the restaurant serves the likes of lobster tail and filet mignon, people go to the outpost for one thing: crabs, of course. During our visit, we happened to get the last dozen, and we watched patron after patron leave after learning there were no more crabs to be had that night. Diners certainly weren’t there for the view (of Reisterstown Road) or the interior design (acoustic-tile ceilings, deli-style counter, and oddly placed TV). And the appetizers are hit or miss. A shrimp “trio” turned out to be fried shrimp, fried shrimp in Buffalo sauce, and fried shrimp in a sweet coating meant to be sesame ginger. On the other hand, the Maryland crab soup was loaded with crab and vegetables, and the clams casino delivered a pleasant bite of garlic, a satisfying chew of seafood, and a gratifying dose of bacon. The crabs, of course, made the visit worthwhile.

Captain James Crab House
captainjameslanding.com
2127 Boston Street, 410-675-1819
It’s surprising how few places there are in Baltimore in which to actually eat crabs, and to feast on them outdoors on the water. Fortunately, Captain James fulfills that craving with a floating deck full of picnic tables, reliably good crabs, and even its own water taxi stop. And despite being an offshoot of (and across the street from) its main restaurant painted like a giant ship, it is somehow not touristy. Crabs usually arrive fast, seasoned with a mixture that is relatively mild and sufficiently salty. On our visit, we were told the crabs were from Maryland, sparking much excitement, but they were similar in flavor and heft to other area offerings. The menu is brief, with a few steamed shellfish options, an oddly gumbo-like Maryland crab soup, refreshing slaw, and exceptionally crisp fries that are perfect for smearing on excess crab spice. But of course, the real draw is the sensory combo of a summer night cracking crabs right on the harbor—and they don’t even charge you for that!

Catches Restaurant and Crab House
catchescrabhouse.com
9727 Pulaski Highway, Middle River, 410-574-3200
On the night we crabbed out at Catches, there were at least three birthday parties going on. It’s easy to see why folks would choose to celebrate here—and not only for the dance floor and classic rock cover band that began tuning up at 9 on a Saturday night. We called ahead to reserve a dozen crabs, and Bill, the resident expert steamer, stopped at our table to tell us he’d hand-picked 14 beauties from a crop flown in from Louisiana earlier in the day. Sure enough, these larges might be jumbos at another venue. The lumps were easy to separate and milky white, washed down with a swig of Catches Ale, brewed by Fordham Brewery. We couldn’t resist sampling the decadent signature appetizer: a chewy, oversized pretzel topped with creamy crab dip and melted cheese. Catches’s owners are committed to crabs year-round and have built a steaming house in the parking lot. Party on.

CJ’s Crabhouse and Grill
cjscrabs.com
10117 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, 410-363-6694
CJ’s is more sports bar than crabhouse, its dark interior lit by the glow of sport-tuned televisions. Yet, when those bright-red crustaceans are spilled across the brown-paper-covered table, and the plastic bibs and wooden mallets are presented, even the saddest Orioles stats suddenly don’t seem so bad. The menu here includes hearty hamburgers and other sandwiches, as well as “real restaurant” entrees such as shrimp scampi, stuffed flounder, and ribs. Cream of crab soup is made the traditional way, with a shot of sherry to lighten the cream (if requested) and a generous amount of seafood. But our favorite appetizer was a serving of large and sweet steamed shrimp, swathed in spice that colored our fingers orange as we pried off the shells. Service is speedy and friendly, and jars of Old Bay alongside the salt and pepper are a nice touch. Eating here is a true Maryland dining experience.

Costas Inn
costasinn.com
4100 North Point Boulevard, Dundalk, 410-477-1975
There’s no denying Costas’s crabhouse status. The tables are covered in brown paper (if you’re getting crabs), mallets await your grip, and white buckets are ready for your shells. Like many local places, there’s nary a drop of outdoor water in sight except for the steamer-boat paintings on the wall. We like that you can choose the crab size you want when you make reservations. The other diners looked longingly at our larges while they had to settle for smaller ones that night. We kicked our palates into gear with a zesty Maryland crab soup (that could have used more crab), a half-dozen chilled, briny Blue Point oysters, and a stack of crispy, bagel-size onion rings. The service is attentive, with the staff keeping a close eye on empty plates and glasses. The hard shells are delivered on a tray—fragrant, hot, and generously encrusted with Costas’s own peppery spice blend—and piled on the table. These Texas crustaceans were loaded with meat, and there wasn’t a lightweight among them.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant
crackpotcrabs.com
8102 Loch Raven Boulevard, Towson, 410-828-1095.
For almost 40 years, The Crackpot has been steaming fat crabs year-round with its custom Old Bay-laced seasoning. The no-nonsense décor—wood-shingle walls, stuffed fin fish poised on said walls, crab pots turned into light fixtures, and even holiday garlands with lights—makes it just the right place to get messy and dissect your crabs (always from Louisiana, we’re told). Of course, there’s more than hard crabs on the menu. The Maryland crab and cream of crab soups were steamy hot, spicy, and all-around excellent, the best we’ve had in a while. The crab pretzel is a fun appetizer—a long, doughy twist coated with a garlicky crab dip and topped with cheese. Our waitress shared that she sometimes eats one for dinner. And that’s another bonus—the waitstaff, who are pleasant, friendly, and enthusiastic. This is a Baltimore tradition to appreciate.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant
gunningsonline.com
7304 Parkway Drive, Hanover, 410-712-9404
Business travelers will feel right at home at Gunning’s, not just for its setting amid office parks near the airport, but for its mustard-yellow walls and gold patterned carpet reminiscent of a hotel conference center. Servers will cheerfully pull on a pair of surgical gloves to walk visitors through the proper picking of a crab, clearly accustomed to bewildered out-of-towners. But along with the clusters of after-hours business people are couples and families, who have happily been coming to Gunning’s since the day in 1970 when Edward Gunning, a police officer, dumped a bushel of crabs on his father’s South Baltimore bar, thinking folks might like some food with their beer. These days, order the steamed crabs, and the staff kicks into action, delivering a crab kit in a brown paper bag: hammers, napkins, the ubiquitous sturdy blue plastic knives, before delivering the full-bodied critters. If you’re not worried about a crustacean overdose, try the crab-ball starter, an array of pan-seared mini crab cakes, and if you’re not shy about ordering dessert, Gunning’s homemade éclairs are renowned.

Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn
cantlers.com
458 Forest Beach Road, Annapolis, 410-757-1311
Even without its magical, sun-splashed, picnic-bench-covered wooden deck jutting over Mill Creek, Cantler’s would set a high standard for Maryland crabhouses. The crabs are always sweet, the beers are always cold, and there’s just something special about being able to arrive by boat if you choose. A beloved icon since 1974, Cantler’s could probably get by on goodwill and warm weather at this point. But that’s not how Cantler’s does things. Appetizers leave the fried stuff offered elsewhere in the dust and include fresh, delicious fare like ahi-tuna wantons that combine seared fish, piquant seaweed salad, and crisp-fried noodles. Another appetizer tops a hearty mushroom with a lump-meat-heavy crab cake and puts the whole thing over tender wilted spinach. And then comes the steaming bowl of Maryland crab soup, loaded with seafood and vegetables. Oh, and did we mention the delicious crabs?

L.P. Steamers
lpsteamers.com
1100 E. Fort Avenue, 410-576-9294
Located on the corner of a Formstone-covered row of Locust Point buildings, L.P. Steamers offers the quintessential Bawlmer crab experience. During our visit, we were told the mayor was enjoying a meal in a private room, while a big table of giggling tourists struggled, with help from their server, to master the intricacies of crab cracking. The space is long and narrow, and staffers stomp up the steep stairwell carrying beers, mallets, steamed shrimp, and platters of bright-red crabs, smothered with an Old Bay-type seasoning (though less salty, we were told). The deep-fried oyster and shrimp appetizers are grease-free and good. Forget greens—garnishes here are plastic tubs of tartar sauce and sweet, pickle-flecked macaroni salad. Plastic spoons are provided to scoop up the spicy veggie-filled Maryland crab soup. But before long, brown paper is laid across the table, sleeves are rolled up, and hands are soon covered with spice as crabs are cracked and morsels of white flesh are fingered into mouths. This is the real deal, hon.

Mike’s Bar & Crab House
mikescrabhouse.com
3030 Old Riva Road, Riva, 410-956-2784
Though locals are known to sniff at Mike’s as being too “touristy,” most will nonetheless concede that this sprawling crabhouse just west of downtown Annapolis is something of an institution. Indeed, even in the off-season, the cavernous dining rooms tend to be crowded. When the weather is nice, the expansive outdoor seating gets an extra hit of patrons arriving via boat (and car). The crabs, which hailed from Louisiana, were large and heavy, with a high rate of still-attached claws. They were, in fact, the fullest we’ve encountered in a while. The house spice is a finely ground, very aromatic but somewhat tame mixture. Luckily, supplemental ramekins of extra spice, as well as vinegar for dipping, are standard. Accompaniments such as a meekly seasoned cream of crab soup and overly dense hush puppies are just passable, but the service is efficient and cheerful.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn
200 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, 410-687-5994
Step into the main dining room of Mr. Bill’s and you instantly suffer amnesia. You’ll forget Memorial Stadium is gone, that the Colts left, that Willie Don isn’t the Mayor, that McCormick isn’t on Pratt Street, and that National Boh isn’t sponsoring the City Fair. We had to peek back outside just to make sure the passing police car didn’t have a blue lollipop light. No Baltimore nostalgia fakery here, and no attempt at haute cuisine, either. It’s all about the crabs. Heavy, sweet, impeccably steamed, mouth-watering crabs. Dusted with a blend that is neither overwhelmingly hot nor puckeringly salty, these heavies were among the best we’ve had in years. Accompanied by a cup of spicy-delicious crab soup and a pitcher of beer, our only complaint of the evening was that with so many TVs, it was impossible not to watch the Orioles lose . . . the only reminder that it wasn’t 1979.

Nick’s Fish House
nicksfishhouse.com
2600 Insulator Drive, 410-347-4123
Often, especially on weekends, Nick’s is more about happy-hour drinks and loud music than food, as indicated by the throng of revelers on the outside deck—and this despite its less than advantageous location in an old industrial park by the Hanover Street Bridge. But it’s also a fine place to indulge in crabs, which you can get both outdoors and in. We suggest the dining room as the service is better than outside (which is a bit slow) or at the bar (a bit surly). The crabs were point-to-point among the largest we found, but several were light and many claws were MIA. However, the meat was notably sweet, and the spice a nice balance of salt and heat. The cream of crab soup was excellent, with velvet richness, subtle seasoning, and lots of meat. Unfortunately, the coleslaw had too much mayo, and the goat-cheese grits tasted vaguely of a cheese Danish. Hint: When large crabs are available, they go fast.

Obrycki’s
obryckis.com
1727 E. Pratt Street, 410-732-6399
In early crab season, there was a bit of subterfuge going on at the well-known Baltimore institution. Supplies, even from Texas and Louisiana, were unpredictable, so there were no guarantees that the restaurant would have crabs. We were instructed to call precisely at 11:30 a.m. the day that we wanted crabs. If the stars lined up, we’d soon be picking through hard crabs that evening. We lucked out. Yes, they had crabs—larges even. We soon headed to the downtown crabhouse that likely draws the most out-of-towners. We were impressed how friendly and courteous the staff is to its guests. They’re a good welcoming committee. As native Baltimoreans, though, we’re slightly horrified to be offered bibs for eating crabs. But if you’re not from here, you probably think it’s a good idea. Our crabs were hot and full but not spicy. Obrycki’s uses its own black-pepper blend on the crabs but not nearly enough for our taste. We loved our server’s recommendation of a side dish of cool, creamy cucumber salad.

Ocean Pride Restaurant & Carryout
oceanprideseafood.com
1534 York Road, Lutherville, 410-321-7744
On a spring evening at Ocean Pride, the bar was packed, many of the patrons waiting for bags of steamed crabs to take home from the busy carryout shop, where you can also order a container of potato or shrimp salad, and choose a cold six pack or a bottle of wine. In the sunken dining room at the rear of the restaurant, brown-paper-covered tables stand ready for those who prefer to eat crabs there. The waitstaff, dressed in navy polo shirts and khaki shorts, shoot back and forth with pitchers of beer and platters from the raw bar. This cheerful spot on York Road, some distance from the ocean itself, proudly offers crabs all year long. While the quality of crabs—from North Carolina, Louisiana, or Texas—may vary from night to night (we had some recently molted jimmys with flimsy shells and not enough meat), speak up if you’re not pleased, and the good-natured steam managers will set things right. The crabs are dusted with Ocean Pride’s own seasoning—modeled after Old Bay, with rock salt, cayenne, white pepper, paprika, and other undisclosed ingredients; we detected a lemony tang that complemented the sweet meat.

Reter’s Crab House and Grille
reterscrabhouse.com
509 Main Street, Reisterstown, 410-526-3300
Our most recent trip to Reter’s occurred on an unseasonably dreary day, making it difficult to get into the crab-pickin’ spirit as we made our way out to Reisterstown. But Reter’s beach décor, cheery servers, and airy environs elicited an immediate mood swing. We started our meal with a few appetizers, of which the crab soup was the strongest—good crab content, mildly spiced, and chock full of veggies. The oyster stew looked promising, too, loaded with plump bivalves, but it was let down by its somewhat gloppy texture. It mattered little, though, once the crabs arrived, smothered in a proprietary spice blend that is suitably peppery and salty. Our batch was perfectly steamed, as were the juicy shrimp we ordered along with them. For northwestern residents who don’t want to drive into the city for their crabs, Reter’s is the place to go.

Riptide by the Bay
riptidebythebay.net
1718 Thames Street, 410-732-3474
Crabs are the headline act at Riptide, but the supporting cast of appetizers and small plates should not be overlooked. Choosing to take more of a foodie approach to crabhouse dining, Riptide tempts you with garlicky crab dip, mini crab cakes finished with smoked bacon cream, and the aptly named ensalada fresca—a refreshing mélange of jicama, crab, and red and green salsas. We could have used a little more crab in our crab soup, but can’t quibble with its tanginess or the plethora of fresh veggies therein. We’re also happy with the beer selection here; in keeping with the suds-centric atmosphere of Fells Point, it features a rotating cast of delicious brews from around the world. Service at Riptide isn’t as well seasoned as the crabs just yet, but the occasional slip is forgotten in the face of genuine, youthful zeal.

Schultz’s Crab House
1732 Old Eastern Avenue, Essex, 410-687-1020
The journey to Schultz’s takes you past small businesses selling outboard motors, vegetables from local farms, beauty services, and nary a big-box store in sight. When you arrive, you won’t be disappointed. This place, which opened as Shultz’s Café in 1950, became a crabhouse when the McKinney family bought the business in 1969, and current owner Steve McKinney (along with five siblings) has been sorting and steaming crabs since he was a little boy. Inside, it couldn’t be less pretentious. With dark paneled walls decorated with trophy fish and a pool table in the large bar area, it’s a worthwhile destination in our quest for authenticity. At the table nearby, a couple sat in silence, whacking their knives just so, to expertly crack the claw or break the body without splatter. Our waiter explained the notion of “fat crabs,” pointing to a dark spot on the underside to illustrate how these guys spent their time lazing on the sandy bottom underwater, plumping up all that succulent white meat. A pitcher of Yuengling, a starter of slightly spicy Maryland crab soup, and we were in another world.

SeaSide Restaurant Crab House and Lounge
theseasiderestaurant.com
224 Crain Highway North, Glen Burnie, 410-760-2200
We’re not sure why SeaSide was so crowded and loud on a ho-hum and cool Sunday night. Though the restaurant is large, our wait was more than an hour. Yet, even with the hubbub, we were never neglected. A quickly served appetizer combo kept us occupied while we waited at the bar. It included plump steamed shrimp wrapped in bacon and dabbed with barbecue sauce, truly exemplary crab balls, and a creation described as “clams casino,” which was really a half-shell topped with cheese and bacon, then baked. Once seated, service was quick. We were soon enjoying a bowl of fresh-tasting, vegetable-rich Maryland crab soup, though we could have passed on the fishy-tasting steamed mussels. And then came the crabs, which went a long way toward explaining the crowd. They were heavy with meat and crusted in a slightly less-salty-than-usual spice mix that didn’t sting the fingers. Eventually, the loudest people left the bar, and we were left to pull off claws and pry out the marble-white meat in peace.

Ships Cafe Restaurant & Crabhouse
shipscafe.net
828 Frederick Road, Catonsville, 410-744-1838
This main-street restaurant offers a meandering warren of rooms—down steps, up steps, around the corner, and outside on a deck. From our experience, the steamed crabs are the selling point here. Our server alerted us that they would take from 20 to 25 minutes to be ready. We immediately felt comfortable knowing that we were getting hard shells right from the steamer. In the meantime, we ordered Maryland crab and cream of crab soups and a generous plateful of delightful, lightly breaded fried calamari with two sauces: a thick marinara and a zesty cusabi (creamy cucumber zinged with wasabi). We’d forego the lackluster, too temperate soups next time. But we quickly forgave those disappointments once the crabs arrived—hot, delicious, and thickly coated with spicy, flecked seasoning.

Sue Island Dock Bar
900 Baltimore Yacht Club Drive, Essex, 443-460-0092
Even for those who live in the area, this relative newcomer would be considered a destination spot, tucked away as it is near land’s end on Sioux Creek off Middle River. But the trip is a worthwhile one, given the picturesque view, relaxed atmosphere, and excellent crabs. The size selection here was comprehensive, with as many as five gradations ranging up to jumbo, which must be leviathans given the girth of the larges we received. Though not the heaviest specimens, all were consistently full, well-coated with a thick jacket of salty spice. As a bonus, our dozen was a baker’s, and wayward claws were even served alongside in a tidy pile. Nightly food and drink specials (our crabs came with a free pound of shrimp, and the $4 margaritas are huge) add further incentives for far-flung customers. The fries and potato salad are excellent, the cream of crab soup less so. Apply bug repellent beforehand. When dusk comes, so, too, do the mosquitoes.

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Crab & Tell
The inside scoop on customers’ quirks.

Neil Smith, owner of The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant, says he wishes he’d written down all the funny stories that have happened over the years. “One of the ones I like best is when a customer got a dozen jumbo crabs and sent back six of them because each one did not have matching claws. He said the claws should be the same exact size. If not, it was a deformed crab,” Smith says. “Another good one is the lady who sent back her dozen crabs because one fin was missing (and it wasn’t the back fin). We offered to replace the crab, but she said she had lost all trust in us!”

Pete Triantafilos, a Costas Inn owner, is always amused by “people that bring their own butter warmers” and those “eating crabs while wearing surgical gloves.” He’s also had his share of retrievals with people “losing things in crab paper—rings, cell phones, keys, etc.—and they only tell you after the paper has been put into the Dumpster,” he says. After looking through the trash, the staff later finds out “that the item was found in a purse or elsewhere,” he sighs.

Rick Bielski, who owns Ocean Pride Restaurant & Carryout with his brother Randy, says that the restaurant often gets visitors who ask for help picking their crabs. He said the servers cheerfully give lessons, but always say how hard it is to pick crabs and not eat them themselves! “We have heard out-of-towners say that they want the mud washed off the crabs, not knowing that it’s the seasoning that makes them so tasty,” he adds. There’s also the aftermath of cleanup. “We have taken apart plumbing in the restrooms to look for rings that were lost while [people were] washing their hands.”

Eric Hamilton, owner, with dad Earl, of Canton Dockside, says customers frequently lose jewelry and car keys. He particularly remembers the time a woman left her engagement ring in the pile of crab discards. By the time she came back 15 minutes later, the table had been cleared and the brown paper full of shells—and her ring—thrown in the trash. “I’m a good guy,” says Hamilton, “I got in the Dumpsters with other staff, and we found the ring.” A crabhouse Dumpster is not a place you want to be, especially on a hot summer day, Hamilton notes. “It’s post-edible stuff and dead crabs we throw away that you can’t eat.”

Christopher D. Cox, general manager at Bo Brooks, still laughs about the time a woman swore up and down in the dining room that the crabs were from China. Why did she think that? “Because they were red and not blue!” he says. He also recalls the time a group decided to “rescue” some crustaceans: “Some customers bought a dozen crabs live and decided to throw them into the water [after a couple of beers] in their own attempt to help re-populate the bay.” And then there are the bridal parties, he says, who “come in right after their group manicure and wear latex gloves in the wedding colors to pick their own steamed crabs!”

Jeff Sanders, who owns CJ’s Crabhouse and Grill with two brothers, can one-up his colleagues with this one: “We have people eat steamed shrimp with the shells on,” he says. “I want to tell them that it’d be easier without them on.” The staff does show newbies how to peel and eat the shrimp. No surprise. “They said that was a lot better,” Sanders reports.

Ask Marylanders about their favorite crab houses, and you’ll likely
get as many answers as the people you talk to—from familiar places to
lesser-known joints. Everyone seems to have an opinion on where to find
the fattest Jimmys and the frostiest beer. We thought it was time again
to belly up to the brown-papered tables around town and see what crab
houses are delivering these days. (Rip Tide in Fells Point hadn’t opened
in time for a review, but we have great expectations for the new kid on
the crab block.) Here are 15 of our top picks.

Cantler’s Riverside Inn
458 Forest Beach Road,
Annapolis, 410-757-1311. Former waterman Jimmy Cantler’s restaurant is
the waterside equivalent of the authentic American roadside diner. You
know it’s the real deal if most of the clientele arrive by boat. Open
year-round, when the weather turns warm, the preferred seating is on the
outdoor deck, with open and sheltered areas overlooking Mill Creek.
Indoors, the bar and booths have a warm and rustic glow. It would be a
shame if a setting so idyllic had anything less than fabulous crabs.
Thankfully, Cantler’s crabs, from Maryland waters and the Gulf, are
sweet, fresh, and meaty, and steamed for the optimal time. Extra larges
are available, and their heft is worth the price. For crab lovers who
can’t abide picking, the mild crab cakes have minimal binding—and
minimal size. (If crab cakes will be your meal, order two.) Desserts
come from SugarBakers, a Catonsville bakery that has quite a reputation
of its own. We suspect that Cantler took one taste of the Key lime pie
and knew that it, like his crab house, was the real deal.

Harris Crab House
433 Kent Narrows Way North,
Grasonville, 410-827-9500. In these times of skyrocketing gas prices, a
day trip to Harris’s for steamed crabs is a pretty decent cheap
alternative to a vacation. Hop in the car, head for the Bay Bridge, and
in less than an hour you’re there, surrounded by lovely water views as
you pick through a pile of hard shells (mediums were heavy, hot, and
fresh) and sip on a Redhook brew. The dining room is spare and no
frills, with butcher’s paper on the tables and big rolls of paper towels
you’ll come to appreciate in the midst of your feast. And with Harris’s
view of the bay, you’re not likely to miss white-linen napery or fancy
décor. Other particularly well-prepared items on the menu include a
nice, broiled jumbo-lump crab cake and a luscious cream of crab soup you
can carry out by the quart at the takeout window. That’s one way to
keep the holiday-from-home vibe going a little bit longer.

L.P. Steamers
1100 E. Fort Avenue, 410-576-9294.
This long-time Locust Point (“L.P.”—get it?) crab joint may be pretty
worn around the edges, but its charms are considerable: superior crabs
and seafood, rock-bottom prices, and a wait staff that’s more
knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and hardworking than any we’ve
encountered at other crab venues, pricey or otherwise. Our lovely
waitress gave us an enthusiastic refresher course on the best way to
pick, along with a frank and fair assessment of competing crab joints
and an informative discourse on the differences between Maryland and
Louisiana blue crabs (basically, there aren’t any). The staff here will
candidly tell you what’s good that night, and which crabs are the best
bargain. Our $75 crabs were huge and heavy. But you’d do yourself a
disservice to stop at hard shells. Fried seafood here is expertly
prepared with a light and crisp batter, and the steamed shellfish is
plentiful and relatively cheap. Sit up on the rooftop deck and you’ll
get a panoramic city view along with your draft beer (no liquor here,
only beer and wine). Even with the surrounding gentrification, this is
about as Bawlmer as you can get.

Mike’s Bar & Crab House
3030 Old Riva Road,
Riva, 410-956-2784. Steamed crabs your way should be the motto of Mike’s
Bar & Crab House. When the crabs get to your table, they are hot to
the touch, but mild and sweet to the taste. There are no burning lips
here, unless you set the fire. Accompanying the crabs is a bowl of Old
Bay-type seasoning, vinegar if you prefer, and drawn butter. You also
get your own roll of paper towels. South of Annapolis on the South
River, accessible by both car and boat, Mike’s is an ideal place to wile
away a long evening over crabs and beer. Part of the outdoor deck is
covered overhead; the uncovered area abuts the boat slips, and on Friday
nights, there is karaoke. Indoors or out, however, most diners have a
river view, thanks to long windows and a wonderful location. In typical
crab-house style, Mike’s is informal with long tables, a full bar, a
children’s menu, and friendly service. Many large groups—big families
with lots of generations and after-work gatherings—are among the crowd.
In addition to hard crabs, the offerings are many and varied, including
an excellent seafood platter, which can be broiled or fried, a popular
crab imperial, pork chops, sandwiches, and even pizza. But skip the
desserts; none is homemade.

Nick’s Fish House
2600 Insulator Drive,
Baltimore, 410-347-4123. Imagine a Baltimore waterfront of a bygone
era—dinghies, aging motor craft, weather-worn sailboats sporting nothing
new but their glossy license stickers … it still exists outside the
airy windows of Nick’s Fish House. This little treasure, tucked away
under the Hanover Street Bridge, may be well-known for summertime happy
hour, but it deserves a visit for the food, too. We were pleased to find
the crabs here among the best we tasted in a while. Our server
recommended the 65s (a dozen crabs for $65), which arrived positively
smothered in Old Bay and steamed to divine perfection. We ate ourselves
silly, feasting on plump and fresh Chesapeake oysters, steamed clams,
and delicately flaky tilapia. We interrupted our crab picking only to
scarf down an occasional onion ring and have a swig of beer. The
laid-back fishing shack interior encourages relaxed largesse, and the
servers work with unflagging friendliness and efficiency to take good
care of customers. We’re looking forward to our next visit, and have
certainly found the place to take out-of-towners the next time they
demand seafood with a view.

CJ’s Crabhouse and Grill
10117 Reisterstown Road,
Owings Mills, 410-363-6694. After being on Reisterstown Road for three
decades, CJ’s knows what it’s doing when it comes to crabs. Hard shells
come out of the kitchen quickly: Faster service than McDonald’s, it
seems. But what crabs. They’re coated with tongue-tingling, peppery
seasoning and full of sweet meat. The night we were there, the larges
had the most enormous claws we’ve seen. We also like the lump crab cakes
here, which are fat mounds of back fin with just enough filler to bind
the ingredients. We’d skip the mediocre Maryland crab soup to
concentrate on the crabs. CJ’s prides itself on good service, and,
indeed, the wait staff is friendly and attentive. In addition to helpful
servers, staffers come along every few minutes to empty bowls of messy
crab shells to keep the comfortable booths and long tables clean. For
non-crab eaters, there are plenty of other dishes, like burgers, pizza,
and ribs. The crisp, tender buffalo wings are particularly good. And
don’t miss the crab pretzel (crab dip smothered over a jumbo soft
pretzel). It never disappoints.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn
200 Eastern Boulevard,
Essex, 410-687-5994. This is not a crab house for newbies. Diners wield
their mallets and beer with deft hands, and everyone seems to know one
another in the noisy, boisterous space reminiscent of someone’s rec
room. And be prepared to order your steamed crabs immediately. The
servers don’t mess around here. They want to get your crab decision to
the kitchen as soon as possible since the crustaceans are steamed to
order. While waiting, tuck into a delicious cup of cream of crab soup.
It’s a lush potage laced with back fin. We also really liked the
Maryland crab soup, which reels you in with its zingy, spice-punched
broth, even if there seems to be a dearth of crabmeat. When the hard
shells arrive, you’ll find them steaming hot—literally, steam billows
from the pile. Ah, but these are the reason to come to Bill’s. The crabs
are fat, heavy beauties, plump with snowy meat, and coated with a
tantalizing spice crust—better than Old Bay, we think. (Was there a
tinge of garlic in the secret coating?) You can quell the spiciness with
desserts like hot apple pie à la mode or an ice cream sundae. We didn’t
need to. We like that happy crab aftertaste.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant
8102 Loch Raven
Boulevard, Towson/Parkville, 410-828-1095. There’s nothing glamorous
about The Crackpot’s location in a busy suburban shopping center,
sharing space with a grocery store, coffeehouse, and other shops. Even
inside the restaurant, there’s a frayed feel to it, like the years of
diners passing through have left their mark. But what the crab house
lacks in style and polish, it makes up for in food and service. You can
count on getting great crabs here year-round, usually from Louisiana in
the off-season. They’re picked up daily at the airport and delivered
kicking to the restaurant, servers will tell you. Our only quibble is
the size ranges. On a recent visit, our extra larges were definite
mediums, but we still swooned over the hearty, spicy flavor and
captivatingly sweet meat. We also like sitting at a table by ourselves
instead of at the long communal planks favored at many other crab
houses. Service is attentive whether you’re ordering hard shells or the
impressive range of other menu entries, from surf and turf to
crazy-sounding crab cakes like the Hawaiian one with pineapple and ham.
(There’s also a 20-ounce traditional Maryland cake on the menu for
crustacean diehards.) Before your hard shells make an appearance on your
table, start with stuffed mushroom caps—a retro appetizer with a mound
of impossibly rich crab imperial on top—and what is arguably the best
cream of crab soup in town. Cold, salty oysters on the half shell keep
you going till the crabs arrive hot from the steamer. Sated with crabs,
there’s cherry, apple, and coconut cream pies and other sweet
temptations if you desire. Or, like us, just leave content on an Old Bay
high.

Reter’s Crab House and Grille
509 Main Street,
Reisterstown, 410-526-3300. A strip-mall exterior, family-friendly
atmosphere, menu from both land and sea, and weeknight specials such as
all-you-can-eat oysters or prime rib keep Reter’s popular with the
land-locked locals. For them, it’s the closest thing to a beach joint in
Baltimore County. We appreciate the peach walls, bleached-wood
paneling, and dozens of kites and other beach paraphernalia that hang
from the walls and ceiling to distract us from the view of a gas station
outside. Inside, Reter’s has something for everyone. A group of
girlfriends eating dinner at the bar can be oblivious to the table full
of someone else’s children: like the hungry Little-Leaguers wolfing down
kids’ meals served on take-home flying discs spotted on a recent visit.
Standard bar food, along with a raw bar and indulgent seafood platters,
mean that even the non-crab eaters will find something to like. The
bland crab cake, however, should be passed over for the sweeter steamed
crabs, or even something hearty, like the pulled-pork sandwich. Even the
slow pickers among you will not leave hungry. According to our
waitress, the restaurant gets its beautifully fat swimmers from the Gulf
of Mexico. For dessert, there are some caloric whoppers, such as the
funnel cake, but we suggest saving your annual funnel cake allowance for
the state fair. At Reter’s, choose one of the smoothies that, just like
at the beach, come in a suspiciously large variety of flavors. But
after one taste of the cookies-and-cream variety, we stopped asking
questions.

The SeaSide Restaurant Crab House and Lounge
224
N. Crain Highway, Glen Burnie, 410-760-2200. With crab standards so high
in our area, The SeaSide continues to stand out in the competition. Its
success is evident from the crowds willing to wait 25 minutes on a
weeknight for a table (reservations are only accepted for seven or more)
in the large, brightly lit dining rooms. A lone eater, up to his elbows
in a pile of crabs, told us during a recent visit that he eats at
SeaSide “every paycheck.” Now, there’s a testimony. The crabs are served
hot out of the steamer and encrusted with a salty, spicy coating. You
can count on them being heavy and packed with crab. The Maryland crab
soup is an admirable version, thick with vegetables, crab, and Old Bay.
The crab cakes also were first class with giant lumps, little filler,
and broiled with a crispy crust. The voluminous menu also includes crab
imperial, fried hard crab, soft shells, chicken, steak, and even lobster
tails.

Canton Dockside
3301 Boston Street, 410-276-8900.
What bills itself as “Baltimore’s newest crab house” is fast becoming
one of our favorite crab houses. We might go elsewhere if we were
hankering for a water view (although Dockside is somewhere in the
general vicinity of a dock, there’s no harbor vista), but for truly
pleasant surroundings, excellent service, and all-around solid seafood,
Dockside is hard to beat. Oh, and the crabs—big, heavy, meaty Louisiana
blues—were the best we’ve had in a while. A large part of Dockside’s
appeal is its spacious, well-appointed dining room, which still retains
the fine-dining trappings of the building’s former resident, Canton’s
Pearls. Despite the semi-upscale feel, prices are eminently reasonable
and the vibe is crab-shack friendly. The place is popping with families,
after-work singles, old and young, all getting into the act. One night
we observed a sweet young couple—obvious novices—getting pointers from
an elderly man at the next table, who kindly gave a step-by-step on how
to dismantle a hard shell. Crabs aren’t the only act—a host of
seafood-topped pastas, sandwiches, salads, and non-seafood entrées fill
out the considerable menu—but every variation of the noble blue we’ve
tried here, including a seasonal soft-shell sandwich, was primo. If you
must have outdoor dining, there’s a shaded patio alongside the building.
But with crabs like these, you won’t really care where you’re sitting,
as long as the table is loaded with the house specialty.

Costas Inn
4100 North Point Boulevard, Dundalk,
410-477-1975. Costas Inn has been a crustaceous institution for more
than 30 years, and that’s obvious from the moment one pulls into the
parking lot—the building sports several additions of varying vintage.
Costas serves up a traditional seafood menu, featuring old-school
favorites like oysters Rockefeller, stuffed lobster tail, and crab
imperial. There are also plenty of steak, chicken, and pasta choices, as
well as pit-style barbecue offerings. But it’s the crabs that folks
drive significant distances for, and for good reason. Enter the
cavernous dining hall, settle down with a beer, a table full of crabs, a
bucket for spent shells, and go to town. Costas’s house spice tastes
pepperier than Old Bay, and seems a little tangier to us as well. In any
case, we love it, and gleefully lick our fingers often. On our last
visit, we couldn’t resist starting with a dozen raw Blue Point oysters
to prime the pump, and also ordering some onion rings to add just the
right grease factor for a mid-meal break and beer refill. Costas Inn
also has takeout service if you prefer to dine at home; either way, the
staff highly recommends calling ahead to reserve your crabs to ensure
getting the size you want.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant
7304 Parkway Drive,
Hanover, 410-712-9404. Here’s the scoop on the seemingly never-ending
and ultimately confusing saga of the two Gunning’s: The original Hanover
Street Gunning’s is closed. Gone. Done. Over. It has ceased to be. The
Hanover Gunning’s, still owned by the Gunning family, is alive and well
and serving hot steamed crabs and those crazy fried pepper rings that
made them famous. You know, green peppers—breaded, deep-fried, and
dusted with, yes, powdered sugar. Don’t knock ’em till you’ve tried ’em.
The strip-mall location has been knocked by purists, but it’s perfectly
nice and spacious, and you’ll find that the bevy of homespun Hon-type
waitresses provide plenty of atmosphere. A platter of heavily Old-Bayed
medium (but hefty) crabs passed our own personal Hon test, as did the
massive hard crab, that over-the-top concoction of breaded, stuffed, and
deep-fried whole hard shell. Nice touches include a beautiful salad
with kicky homemade pepper-Parmesan dressing that comes to the table
instead of the usual bread basket, and good, filler-less, all-lump crab
cakes for the pickin’ shy. Nightly happy-hour specials keep the bar
hopping, but don’t be dismayed when you pull up and see the cars
spilling out of the parking lot—the dining room may be busy, but it’s
big enough to accommodate walk-ins. If you’re anywhere in the vicinity
south of Baltimore and the urge hits you, Gunning’s is as good a place
as any to sate your crab cravings.

Obrycki’s
1727 E. Pratt Street, 410-732-6399.
Obrycki’s is nearly synonymous with crabs—imperial, deviled, caked,
flaked, and, of course, steamed. Whatever form you prefer your crabs,
they are good eatin’ at this Baltimore institution. The hard crabs,
steamed in Obrycki’s own peppery blend, are meaty—at least, the large
crabs are—and make your lips tingle and the beer taste colder and better
than you could imagine. For those who do not want to work so hard for
their supper, Obrycki’s offers an ambitious and appealing menu with many
kinds of seafood. For $11, diners can add a crab cake to any
entrée—it’s a high-quality crab cake with little filler, though a
slightly greasy taste. The cucumbers in sour cream are a delicious,
cooling counterpoint to the hard crabs. Obrycki’s is a bustling, casual
place with an earthy beige décor, tile floor, and tabletops almost the
same color as the brown paper used to cover them for hard-crab eaters.
In crab-house fashion, many of the dining groups are large, and there is
much coupling and uncoupling of tables to accommodate the changing
crowd. But the tables are well-spaced, and the dining area is divided
into several rooms, keeping the noise down and the conversation up. The
service is friendly and efficient. The staff is only too happy to teach
newcomers how to pick a crab, and to give refresher courses, too.

Ocean Pride Restaurant & Carryout
1534 York
Road, Lutherville, 410-321-7744. For almost 40 years, this Baltimore
County mainstay has been enticing diners with its well-seasoned hard
shells and other seafood. Yes, parking is always a challenge, even with
an additional lot, and the crowds can be overwhelming, but the
restaurant can be counted on to deliver Old Bay-coated crabs, hot from
the pot, to your paper-covered table. Sizes vary, depending on your
visit, as do the crustaceans’ origins. We sampled some fine specimens
from Texas on a recent visit and tried not to look too shocked by the
prices. That night, larges, which our waitress recommended, were $53 a
dozen, but they were fat with meat, and we ended up with a couple bonus
crabs. If we had been feeling particularly flush, we could have opted
for jumbos in the $80-plus range. Since the restaurant cooks the crabs
to order, we had plenty of time to dip into a steaming bowl of excellent
cream of crab soup with lots of crab and a crab nacho appetizer, which
is on our must-eat-again list. Colorful nacho chips with all the usual
stuff —gooey cheese, onions, jalapeños, salsa, and sour cream—were
addictive with lots of sweet crabmeat in the savory mix. If you need a
sugar fix after picking your crab shells clean, a turtle cheesecake
comes to the rescue with chocolate sauce and caramel adding appropriate
decadence.

Let’s make one thing clear right now: Finding the best crab house around here is like finding the most beautiful baby. There are too many, and too much of the decision depends on personal affection and lucky timing. • Having said that, we tracked down a dozen (plus one, a nod to the old crab-house tradition) places that reliably deliver the goods. To do so, we polled longtime locals for their favorites, added some places our food critics knew, and tried them all during the months of April and May. (This meant our crabs were not from the Chesapeake, but sadly, that’s the case even in July.) We rated them not just for crabs, but for side dishes, service, and that indefinable thing that makes a restaurant seem like a good place to spend hours with a mallet in your hand. • We also divided them into three categories, to further help you, whether you prefer a place with lots of history and citywide repuation (“local legends”), one with a loyal following in its neighborhood (“local  treasures”), or just want to pick crabs by the water. • Still, we realize that any list like this is going to draw howls of protest from those whose favorite spot didn’t make the list. All we can say is: All babies are beautiful. 

Gunning’s Crab House, 3901 S. Hanover Street, 410-354-0085. First, a word about the two Gunnings: Time was, the Gunning family owned and operated this crab house in South Baltimore, and made it a famous crab mecca—in part because of signature dishes like fried green-pepper rings dusted in powdered sugar, in part because of the blue-collar charm, and in third part because of its always-fresh crustaceans. Then, the Gunnings sold their restaurant to new people, who kept the old name. Still later, the Gunning family opened up a new place in, rather than on, Hanover (see below). So this is “the old Gunning’s run by the new people,” as many people still call it to this day. Very little has changed here, despite the years and change in ownership: It still has the same wood-paneled, old-school atmosphere, the same large crabs steamed in beer, the same pepper rings and gigantic éclairs. (The staff susses out true Baltimoreans by how they pronounce that last word: It’s “EE-clair.”) The concrete patio still stands ready for a summer’s worth of urban outdoor crab feeds. The crabs we had were good for so early in the season, though they would have been a little weak in July; the cream of crab soup was excellent. And that éclair was sweet, gooey, and too enormous for three people to finish.

Gunning’s Seafood Restaurant, 7304 Parkway Drive, Hanover, 410-712-9404. So how are things at “the new Gunning’s run by the old people”? Well, these were some of the priciest crabs we found—running from $59 to $75 a dozen on our visit—and the Gunnings left the charm and quirkiness (and patio!) behind for a strip-mall storefront. But they hung onto the great cooking and excellent crabs. Ours felt like they had lead weights inside, they were so heavy, easily living up to their $67-a-dozen price tag. And the cream of crab soup completely wowed us, providing a solid lump the size of a golf ball that dwarfed what would have otherwise been considered hefty lumps in every other spoonful. If anything, they do the green-pepper rings better here than at the old place. The crab cake was large, tasty, and virtually free of filler. It’s clear they’re taking the crabmeat for their soups and other dishes straight from their biggest crabs—which, sadly, can’t be too much of a hardship for them, since we were the only ones in the dining room ordering crabs on our last visit. Come on, people, get cracking! And save room for dessert—they serve éclairs here, too.

Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn, 200 Eastern Boulevard, Essex, 410-687-5994. Want your steamed hardshells served with a seriously large side of authentic Bawlmer, hon? Mr. Bill’s is definitely your place. This humble tavern sports a couple of twinkly-light fake palm trees for decoration and a plain box of a dining room where the walls are lined with photos of local celebrities who are passionate fans, like Boog Powell. What’s the attraction? Some of the biggest, meatiest steamed crabs around in a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. Regulars line up around the block in season, so come early for the big ones (they don’t take reservations). At around $38 a dozen for what Powell dubs “aircraft carriers” (that’s large), they’re a bargain to boot. Order a pitcher and a few sides—fried clams, a decent crab fluff, some fries—and you’ve got yourself the crabbiest local experience money can buy.   

Obrycki’s, 1727 E. Pratt Street, 410-732-6399. Obrycki’s servers know what’s important. “Extra-larges are heavy tonight, and we’re almost out,” says our waitress as soon as we sit down. “You want me to reserve you some?” Yes, yes we do. And then we would like a pitcher of Yuengling and a moment to look over a menu filled with all the old local favorites. The Maryland crab soup is excellent, made with hand-cut vegetables and plenty of crab. It comes in a metal crock with a handle—one of those touches that makes Obrycki’s seem just a little nicer than the average crab shack. It’s that careful treading of the line between down-home and upscale that has made this place a favorite of tourists for years, while it’s that distinctive mixture of spices—an unorthodox but addictive black-pepper-based concoction that renders the crabs disconcertingly gray—that has earned it local fans. The cavernous dining rooms have a quirky, faux beer-hall charm, with their plaster walls and brick arches—but the servers dress in black and white, complete with bowties. Still, all the finessed authenticity in the world can’t bring people in the way a good crustacean can, and Obrycki’s has those as well. Gray or not, the crabs were good on our last visit—even the ones a neighboring table gave us when they were too full to finish them. Eating at a place frequented by tourists living in refrigerator-free hotel rooms has certain advantages.

CJ’s Restaurant, 10117 Reisterstown Road, Owings Mills, 410-363-6694. CJ’s is a big place, but in the suburban overload of Reisterstown Road, you can drive right by and never know you missed it. The low-lying, grey-blue building looks like it was built in the 1960s; the inside, however, is much more interesting, with narrow wood paneling and a diagonal layout that helps to allay the boxiness of the place. In a part of town not known for its shellfish, crabs are excellent here, and you can rely on your server to give an honest answer as to what’s running heavy (our larges, at $38, were a deal). If crabs aren’t your thing, CJ’s menu is long indeed, including the usual fried oysters (greasy), various seafood things made into either pizza or “imperial,” Black Angus steaks, good clam chowder and outstanding, creamy, celery-seed-laden cole slaw. Put back all those calories you burned picking crabs with the in-house prepared desserts. It’s an ever-changing array, but after a recent visit, we were still happily remembering our chocolate silk pie the next morning. CJ’s can get noisy on occasion, but that’s part of the attraction—it’s the sort of place where laughing loudly and half-shouting across a table is totally acceptable.

Costas Inn, 4100 North Point Boulevard, Dundalk, 410-477-1975. Costas provides a spartan dining room, with a large flat-screen television on one wall and simple chairs and tables. They know people don’t come for the atmosphere or gimmicky décor: They come for the genial waitstaff and massive, reasonably priced crabs. Ours were quite heavy for 48s, especially for April. Like kids with Cracker Jack prizes, we kept showing off the treasures of meaty flesh we’d extracted. Costas uses a tasty, spicy concoction of their own invention on the crabs—similar enough to Old Bay to not disturb anyone’s sensibilities, but different enough to be a nice change of pace. (They even sell it at local markets, if you want the Costas experience at home.) To be honest, we’re not overly fond of a lot of the other food here—the crab dip seems bland, and our crab soup arrived lukewarm. But anything involving oysters, be they raw or fried, is a guaranteed hit, and the desserts are great, comforting piles of sweetness. Costas knows what people come there for, and those things, they do just right.

The Crackpot Seafood Restaurant, 8102 Loch Raven Boulevard, Towson/Parkville, 410-828-1095. Don’t be fooled by the Crackpot’s bland exterior, part of a shiny strip mall’s façade: Inside, this is as old-school a crab house as you’re likely to find. The walls are lined with bare-wood shingles, the tables with butcher paper in preparation for the glorious mess to come. The air is filled with laughter and occasional shouts or moans from the adjoining bar, depending on whether the O’s are up or down. The Crackpot boasts a full menu that includes honest-to-goodness entrées like prime rib and tuna steaks, but crabs are the big draw. Order a pint of something amber—the restaurant has a decent selection of beers—and get ready for a big feed. For starters, try some beer-battered onion rings, or check out the à la carte crab cakes, which come in some half-dozen variations. We’re not sure about the Mexican crab cake concept (made with salsa and cheddar cheese), but we’re new fans of the “Cruise Missile,” which combines lumps of crabmeat with a hot sauce usually found on chicken wings. Servers are efficient and knowledgeable, and admirably cheerful considering the rush of customers that consumes the place on any given night (reservations, in our experience, are highly recommended).

Gibby’s Seafood Restaurant and Lounge, 22 W. Padonia Road, Timonium, 410-560-0703. Gibby’s strikes us as less of a crab house than a seafood restaurant that also serves crabs. Their servers aren’t always on top of what’s running heavy, but you can try to talk your way into the little storage shack behind the kitchen before you come in and heft the crabs yourself before you decide. Our mediums the other night were light, but very tasty, and steamed to order, which can lead to a lengthy wait that adds significantly to your drinks bill. Speaking of which, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap on our visit was a much better match with sweet, spicy crabs than the quickly-becoming-ubiquitous Yuengling lager. Seafood bisque is plenty rich and full of chunks of this and that, but clam chowder can be gloppy. Oysters Rockefeller are topped with cheese, which can also add to the glop factor—but hey, since when has a crab feed been about counting calories? On a summer evening with a slight breeze, the open-air terrace is sufficiently removed from the traffic of Padonia Road to be downright pleasant. Also, there are grassy knolls for the kids to run around on while the adults continue sucking on crustaceans.  

L.P. Steamers, 1100 E. Fort Avenue, 410-576-9294. L.P.’s gets our vote for bargain outing. This Locust Point (that’s what the L.P. stands for) favorite is a no-frills, laid-back friendly place for steamed seafood, $3 burgers, and $1.25 draft pints. Obviously, crabs are never going to count as budget dining—not any more, at least—but even here, L.P.’s helps you out with the widest range of prices we found in all our eating: nine different prices, on our visit, going from $24 a dozen all the way up to $70. Ours were good for an early-season haul, and liberally coated in Old Bay. The cream of crab soup had good flavor, though it was so thick it could have easily doubled as dip (if it hadn’t been for the couple of plastic spoons that came with it, we might have thought we’d mis-ordered). In nice weather, the rooftop deck gives a nice view of the neighborhood and the Harbor. But what really makes us like L.P.’s—besides the wallet-friendly prices—is the easygoing hospitality of its staff and Bud, the owner. That’s why this out-of-the-way spot gets so many tourists—hotel concierges have learned to direct visitors here for some authentic Charm City charm. Don’t believe us? Check out their map of the world, sprinkled with tacks marking the hometowns of various international visitors over the years. 

Ocean Pride, 1534 York Road, Lutherville, 410-321-7744. There’s something a little odd about cracking