Where to Eat the Best Crab in Baltimore

These are the best places to eat Maryland blue crab in Baltimore City! Local blue crabs come from the Chesapeake Bay and are known for their richer flavor and more delicate texture. They’re in season from April to December, but August through October is the peak when they’re at their best to eat. In Maryland, crabs are steamed, not boiled, and seasoned with J.O. Spice or Old Bay, both local spice blends. For a classic Baltimore crab feast, make Natty Boh your beer of choice. It was founded in Baltimore in 1885!

Head to local favorite L.P. Steamers for the freshest local crab. Inside a row house in the Locust Point neighborhood, it has a rooftop deck with views of the harbor and the iconic Domino Sugar sign. Order the steamed hard-shell crabs or try the buttermilk-dipped and fried soft-shell crabs. L.P. Steamers is also the place to try “crab fluff,” a fried crab cake dipped in a funnel cake-like batter and then fried again!

There’s no better place in the city for seafood on the water than Nick’s Fish House. With its picturesque location on the Patapsco River by the Hanover Street Bridge, live music, and carefree vibes, it’s what summer vacations are made of in Baltimore. Along with some local steamed crab, try the Orange Crush, a Maryland cocktail made of vodka, orange juice, triple sec, a splash of lemon-lime soda, and crushed ice.

Faidley’s Seafood, in historic Lexington Market, has been in business since 1886. It’s famous for having the best crab cakes in Baltimore. The jumbo lump crab cakes are made by hand from fresh Chesapeake Bay blue crab, saltines, a mayo-based sauce, and Old Bay. They’ve received such praise that the Governor of Maryland once sent Nancy Faidley Devine to Europe to promote Maryland through her crab cakes!