Located on the shoreline of Chesapeake Bay, an Atlantic estuary renowned for its dense blue crab population, Baltimore is a crucial city for crab commerce. When in Baltimore, it’s essential to partake in a longstanding food-centric tradition: eating crab. Steamed whole and piled high on a paper-protected restaurant table or incorporated into unique seafood dishes, in this city, crab is served as fresh as it’ll ever get.
1. Costas Inn
4100 North Point Blvd.
(410) 477-1975
costasinn.com
For 48 years and counting, Costas Inn has been steaming up Baltimore’s iconic dish— Maryland Blue Crab. Available in various sizes, the restaurant’s hand-picked crabs are cooked tenderly with a house blend of Costas Seafood Spice. As is Baltimore practice, Costas also offers its spin on Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cake.
2. Conrad’s Crabs & Seafood Market
2. 1720 E. Joppa Road
(410) 882-1515
conradscrabs.com
A dedicated waterman, Tony Conrad brings only the finest crabs straight from his boat to seafood connoisseurs’ plates. At Conrad’s, whole crabs are available by the dozen and bushel. Live Chesapeake Bay Crabs are brilliantly blue, and once cooked, are served in a variety of styles, including Crab Imperial or Cream of Crab Soup.
3. Obrycki’s Restaurant & Bar
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Concourse B
(410) 859-5723
obryckis.com
Upon arriving or departing from BWI, stop at Obrycki’s to taste a crab cake classic. With a recipe over 70 years old, the restaurant’s Famous Crab Cakes are a fried delicacy, a simple compilation of fresh jumbo and lump crab meat, seasoned breadcrumbs, and egg.
