Who has the best steamed crabs on the shore? Eat in or take out, I want to know who serves up the best, fattest, tastiest steamed crabs.
I grew up in Baltimore County and crabs were a plenty. I've lived on the shore for 13 years now and I must say, the choices for crabs are few and far between. I thought moving here I would be in crab heaven, but that hasn't been the case.
My wife got me a bushel for my birthday and the company she got them from didn't put any seasoning on them. I didn't know this was even allowed! Needless to say they were taken back for some with the seasoning and I'll give a review of them later.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
32 comments:
IMO, nothing beats getting them live and steaming them yourself. Makes a great time with friends, like a BBQ. Nothing beats a pair of rubber gloves, a set of tongs and an ice coooollld beverage. Also, it helps out the local watermen. Pay them more than what they get from their buyer. Most of the time, you will have to do it "off the record"
Try OCM Crabs on 63rd Street on the Bayside in Ocean City. The owner previously owned a crab house in Harford County and I can tell you first hand they do a great job! He tells me his crabs are picked up daily from Tilghman Island and they are large, full and have plenty of their "special" seasoning. Just stop in and ask for Dave the owner.
Crabs To Go on your way to OC. You'll pay the price but they are worth every penny. If you're looking for good but economic, try Fat Boys Crabs on Old OC Road. Real good flavor.
Hoopers is by far the best around OC.
Fat Boys on Old Ocean City Road near Parsonsburg
Mardela - Steam your own, then sprinkle heavily with Old Bay. If they are not fitten to eat - blame yourself. I swear all Albero does is complain about food and service in local resturants (probably gets a free meal quicker that way) and now you are also stepping up to the plate. Steamed crabs in NC are not seasoned and are boiled in water.
Had some on Sunday from Fat Boys. Seasoned well and plump. However, I also had some from them at the Elks a couple of weeks ago that had less seasoning on them and the shells were paper thin (apparently just shed/hardened).
To eat there would be Red Roost which is way the hell down Nanticoke Rd, then turn left at the sign, and drive another long way...you need gps.
To get them to bring home, Fat Boys on Old Ocean City Rd., between Salisbury and parsonsburg is the best. Good luck and happy pickin'!
addition to poster 4:30
I totally agree! You HAVE to have Old Bay! I also add Seafood Seasoning ( also very spicy/hot ) which is usually stocked on the store shelf next to the Old Bay. Add some vinegar and steam away!
Red Roost
What a coincidence... I just now put in my order for a dozen carry-out jumbos from "On The Bay" on 43rd and Coastal in OC. They have always been excellent - and I'll give a full report after the feast tonight. I grew up in Bo Brooks' place, so I know what I'm talkin' about! Putting the Natty Boh on ice as we speak...
Ate at Red Roost on Sunday, don't go there - not the best crabs at all. I would go along with Fat Boys on Old O.C. Road.
Sorry, but I traveled 3,000 miles to the west coast and wanted to taste their Dungeoness crabs and others we don't have here. It took a 50 mile drive along the coast of Oregon to find a plain steamed crab that wasn't salted, spiced, imperialed, or otherwise flavor camouflaged. When I travel 3,000 miles to taste crab meat, I want to do just that, not taste the spices. I will season to taste if I want!
A lot of restaurants around here have Alaskan crab legs. Why on earth would anyone eat those when they also serve Chesapeake Bay blue crabs on the same menu? I've also tried Dungeness crab and Maine crabcakes. They meat was not in lumps. It was just kind of a ground-up and stringy. Not the same taste either.
FAT BOYS!!! They are GREAT....taste good and are seasoned! I also ate Fat Boys crabs at the Elks feast and I thought they were the best crabs I have ever eaten!
FAT BOYS!!! They are GREAT....taste good and are seasoned! I also ate Fat Boys crabs at the Elks feast and I thought they were the best crabs I have ever eaten!
Crabs on the Eastern Shore are a hit or miss kind of thing. Come on now, think about it. The crabs are all being caught in the same waters, so every one is pretty much getting the same crabs, period.
Now, that being said, the restaurant has a lot to do with whether or not they're cooked properly and served timely.
It makes me sick to watch todays All You Can Eat Restaurants serving such tiny crabs.
However, many of the restaurants claiming they have jumbo crabs are so full of crap these days, it's ridiculous. Last week a friend was willing to pay $80.00 for a dozen jumbo crabs. When they came to the table they were standard large crabs and he refused them. They still charged him $20.00 because he broke open a crab to see how meaty it was.
The transient trafic from vacationers probably don't know the difference and some of these restaurants, (even mentioned in comments here) will use and abuse anyone stupid enough to fall for it. Eastern Shore residents are too smart for them though.
It always cracks me up to see the big names in Ocean City coming up as the best. PLEASE! There are no "best crabs". They are all the same. Again, it's all about who cooks them right with just the right amount of seasoning.
And that's my two cents on this matter.
elliott's seafood off adkins road off 589 near the Pines... small family owned, fresh caught and steamed to order. Not to mention their prices are great for OC. I've always gotten overflowing bushels of nice crabs loaded with meat.
7:07, calm down, its okay, nobody is saying you have to use old bay, just a suggestion. But.....I would venture to guess that if you bought your crabs somewhere, there was some sort of seasoning. Even if it was just vinegar in the water. I personally add 2 cans of beer plenty of vinegar, old bay and some water when I steam them. Layer the old bay as you pile them up in the pot. When they turn red...steam another 20 minutes. Drink one beer to every 2 crabs.....or is it 2 beers to every one crab....... I don't know...can't remember. LOL
The best crabs are served at Suicide Bridge Restaurant. Otherwise Skipjacks on Pemberton Drive does well also.
I've been to The Old Mill in Delmar, DE twice already this year and the crabs and the other sides in the all you can eat special were awesome!
very few of the crabs to be had on the shore live or otherwise come out of the bay unless your buying them at the dock
I've been to the old mill twice in the past two weeks and we got some of the best crabs we've had. the staff was friendly and the crabs were truly a great size for an all you can eat place.. they were much bigger than the bushel of larges I bought a couple weeks ago.
The Crabs on the lower shore do not compare to crabs from the Chester River.
I live about 15 miles south of Hanover PA and normally go to Parks Landing in Westminster for AYCE. Sunday I had ordered 2 bushels from Fat Boys, and made the trip down and back in the AM in time for a 2:00 4th picnic, and the crabs were excellent. (who would think a bushel of #1 and bushel of she-crabs would be cheaper then 1 bushel west of the bay)
I agree that buying live crabs and steaming yourself is the best way to go, and I do this myself, however, sometimes it's more convenient to get some already steamed.
My wife bought me a bushel of #1 crabs from Kool-Ice and I must say, they were not the best by a long shot. Half of them were too small to be considered the size purchased, many were overcooked, and most were very, very light. I will not buy crabs from them again.
Now Kool-Ice(Cambridge) is still a decent place to get seafood. Like I said in my post, they first gave us unseasoned crabs, my wife made the 30 mile round trip to take them back and get seasoned crabs. They did give her a $25 gift certificate for her trouble without being asked. I applaud them for this.
No Joe, I have to disagree with you. Crabs here are not caught in the same water. Coming from a family of Waterman there is a huge difference on where the crabs are caught. Also wether they are caught in crab pots. Trot line crabs by far are the best. In my opinion the Choptank and Wye River
are the best crabs and usually cost the most.
Fat boys may have decent crabs but they have a sign out front that states "We accept food stamps" so I won't go there!
The Red Roost is best for eat in crabsand they have other great seafood items----and the best fried chicken---- and oooh the bbq ribs!
My favorite is Mike's Crab House in Riva, but it is a 2 hour drive.
bahama mama's in ocean city have fantastic crabs. the ones we recently got at red roost were definately not even legal. unless they have changed the rules and made crabs smaller than 4 inches legal
what about Lintons Here in Crisfield awesome crabs plenty of seasoning decent prices also i have to agree Old Mill Delmar is awesome and Fat boys being from Crisfield i know a good crab when i see one also i used to deliver crabs throught OC and Baltimore so i know all the places pretty much
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