We've had the By The Docks crab cake dinner as take out twice. Both times were very good and we also enjoyed the cole slaw and fried sweet potatoes. Whenever we get down to Middle River we are going to "do it again". This is one of our favorites in the area. read more

Sometimes you end up in your favorite seafood restaurant and decide what you really want is a big, juicy, manly burger. The notorious crab cakes that keep people coming back like children to cotton candy, called out to me again this week, to satisfy my taste for the decadent Maryland Crab Cake. My server, Ms. Caity M. was one of the most adorable people I've ever had the pleasure of handling my dining experience. She was so bubbly but not overwhelming. She had such delightful enthusiasm while sharing some of her menu favorites with me. Not one need of mine went unnoticed or unattended. I've been known to get into a rut; having a favorite menu item for each restaurant and the crab cakes of course, come from By The Docks, of course. My server, Caity, enticed me into that burger that changed my life forever. The hand pattied, lean and juicy colossal burger was cooked to my perfection, topped with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, onion straws, and my personal fixings. It was almost too beautiful to eat. Thank you Caity, for your exceptional service. I honestly feel like family whenever I'm having lunch, dinner, or just drinks at By The Docks ! read more

Went there for their first Saturday brunch. Good price for brunch! The food was good, but the selection could be improved upon. I don't eat pork or red meat, so basically, no meat for me, because any "breakfast" meat was pork. The mimosas were more orange juice than alcohol (presumably champagne). The staff was nice and efficient. Overall, a pleasant experience and I would recommend. read more

Sunday 4/7/19 Our family of 5 arrived without reservations for Sunday brunch (did not know, but now know that you can make reservations for Sunday brunch.) We did not wait long when the manager/owner came and escorted us to our table. This is the 3rd time that I have been to this restaurant and each and every time I've received quality service and quality meals. Once was for a large birthday brunch last July and everyone agreed the brunch was delicious, then again for dinner with my family in October and now. All of us ordered the brunch, which was delicious. Everything was cooked perfectly and hot. There was many choices to choose from. Our waiter took our order for omelettes and they were served hot and as ordered. When we were finished with our brunch, we ordered 2 doubles and 1 single crab cake platters to go. I have had them on my 2 previous visits and they are a must have! I no longer live in Baltimore, but when I come home to visit I was always trying to find the best crab cake. Now I will no longer search. This place has it! The staff is friendly and attentive which always makes for pleasurable dining. The meals just super. Take the time and check this gem out!! We drive almost an hour from Westminister, Maryland to come here when I come home to visit. So worth it!! read more

Went in, placed a to go order, was told it would be 15 minutes. After about 40, people who came in after me got their order. I asked the counter person and the guy said he would check. I waited another 10 minutes, went outside to take a call. Came back in, counter was empty. I then placed an order with Boxhill Pizzeria and left. I won't be back to this place, awful service. If you see someone you know made a take out order sitting there after 30-45 minutes, you should take the initiative to help them. read more

Sorry no stars the food was bad I got so sick at the restaurant I couldn't finish my food would never eat here ever

Ok, this is not the fanciest place in town by a long shot but the food is top notch. The crab cakes are about the biggest and best you will find in the greater Baltimore area. I also highly recommend the shrimp salad sandwich on kaiser roll, you will be amazed. The prices are on an even keel with competing places offering better decor but worse food. You will get what you pay for here, and maybe a little bit more. They need to improve and expand the parking, which currently is on scale with maybe a biker bar, not a good family restaurant. read more

I used to love this place. the first time I went there a few years ago my husband and I were amazed by the size and taste of the crab cakes and other food. We went there last night with some friends. First, we were seated upstairs. While we didn't care, a girl fell down the steps leaving. She was OK but they should probably fill up their dining room before they sit people up there for that purpose. I ordered my usual crab cake and it was not the same crab cake I used to get here. They are under new management. It was full of filler, and shells. I have never had shells in a BTD crab cake before last night. I was so disappointed. I don't know if the new owner changed the recipe, got sub par crab meat or what but we unfortunately will not be back there. I have a feeling this place will be out of business within the year. I should have known this would be the outcome when it was a Saturday night and it was not crowded at all! read more

Fantastic, huge crab cake sandwich, perfectly seasoned, hot & tasty...highest recommendation!

What a great find. I'm not a seafood eater but this place was wonderful. I had the lunch special of chicken pot pie. Huge portion. The creamy sauce inside was turkey based. Large pieces of chicken, potato, carrots and beans. The crust was light and flaky. Best one I ever had. For the seafood eaters you will find all your delights. Everything was extremely reasonably priced. read more

The crabcake is very good, flavorful and huge. Service fast and friendly. Place is clean. Do recommend ahi tuna steak too.

Just finished a graduation dinner here and the service was horrible! The waiter was not attentive and the manager was even worse. Jose was rude, disrespectful and degrading. When we complained about the service he stated that he was going to give us 15% off but now he would not because we made him angry. The worse service I have ever received in my life!!! read more

save money and aggravation order the crab cakes to go. The ranch dressing is great, more like a dip thick and flavorful. the service is lousy our waitress acted like she was doing us a favor. 20 minutes after we ordered ribs she came out to say they just sold the order. the prime rib was 1'' thick ( though described as thin) and had no flavor. I hope the dogs will eat it. We needed to ask for spoons to go with our coffee. the dessert selection needs to be expanded. poor selection I passed on dessert which is my favorite part of the meal read more

Me and my family went in a couple weeks ago for my mother's birthday and we had an excellent time. From the moment we walked in we were greeted with a smile and sat very quickly where we were greeted also very quickly with a smile by our server Heather who answered all our questions and delivered us our apps in a very timely manner and allowed us enough time to enjoy them before bringing out our main courses which were absolutely delicious. After dinner she helped us sing happy birthday to our mom and left us very happy! Great job for fantastic food and service! I will definitely be going back soon!! read more

The food was delicious and the service was great. The restaurant was very beautiful and I would go back.

Food is really good!! Party of 3 and we had the crab cakes, fried shrimp, and fresh flounder with an asian sauce. We were all happy with our meals read more

We held my husband's retirement celebration at the restaurant for over 35 family members. The management, staff, servers, cooks were all very accommodating and served a great custom-made menu. Family members were pleased with the food. Everyone took to-go bags because the servings were plentiful. The crab cakes were huge and delicious. The salad was freshly prepared. The dessert was strawberry short cake. We were served hefty slices of cake. The second floor privacy area was perfect for the occasion. Great job. Thanks. C. Holley read more

Saturday, June 17 2017, I and my family had a scheduled booking for 12 and upon arrival was notified by the Manager our table was given away because our group was a few minutes late...well we were finally sitted in the upstairs dining area where it was blazing hot, had requested that the air be adjusted but it remained hot and uncomfortable...I ordered flounder but it turned out to be whiting..very disappointed with the service... read more

My family and I had the crab dip app (delicious). My wife and daughter had Chicken Alfredo (delicious). I had the Crappy Mac and Cheese (Amazing!!). Service was very good. We would recommend this restaurant. read more

we ordered carry out last night and something was missing from the bag and the other thing was wrong so i called and they said i could come get it the next day and to call when on the way and i did and somehow when i got there to food wasn't made because no body communicated and told the manager that i was on the way and just had to wait even longer for there mess up. read more

Got the restaurant week menu. The crab cakes were enormous. We also got the stuffed soft shell crab which were also enormous. The half and half soup was delicious. I would definitely go back . It was a great deal. read more

We were going to Benjie's Drive-In so this restaurant was very convenient since it was right next to it. I read reviews that the crab cakes were excellent, but I've been spoiled by Koco's. It definitely did not compare. They were good, but nothing special. The coleslaw was above average. read more

Scallops soggy. Shrimp greasy. Need I say more? If you cannot get good seafood from a seafood place, it is kind of absurd.

In from Boston on business. I took a chance on this place based on Yelp reviews and I couldn't be happier with my experience. Far and away the best crab cake I have ever had-and I have tried a lot. John and his team were awesome, I was welcomed like an old friend. All the recommendations were spot on, and the entire meal was outstanding. I highly recommend this restaurant to anybody that is looking for an A+ crab experience at a reasonable price with great service. read more

Fabulous, HUGE crab cakes. The Maryland Crab Soup is pretty good too but the crab cakes are outstanding. Be careful what you order because two of these crab cakes is too much for lunch. read more

This will be a short review. I have been here a few times during lunch during business lunches. They have one of the best crab cakes in Baltimore. However , the wait staff is very much to be desired. I have never had a really good waiter or waitress here. WIth that said, I would never come with my family or any time I was flipping the bill. That's just my opinion but definitely check them out if you are into really good tasting and large crab cakes. read more

Crab cakes were very good. No fillers. Disappointed the crabmeat wasn't from Maryland though. Kids had the pizza and liked it. Decent tropical rum cocktails. Annoying Kenny G type music playing but still worth a stop. read more

This wasn't even worth 1 star. Called made reservations. It took our server quiet a while to come over to our table. Strike 1. Kitchen closes at 9 on Sundays not a problem, we order. One dish came out wrong, sent back. Order of Brussel Sprouts were brunt, 2 orders had broccoli which was way over cooked. We were told it was the last of the broccoli because it was the end of the night strike 2. They should have just said we are sold out. The cream of crab soup tasted like cream of chicken with some claw meat added. The final straw that told me never to return.... We had a party of 10. Our bill came up to $426. 18% gratuity was included (which was not deserved). One person put in $300 cash, another paid $110 and the last $70. That's more than enough. The chick came back with the receipts and asked if we needed change. Yes was the answer. She brought back $28. I'm like yeah that's not right. Asked for the original receipt and we got a whole different amount of $380. When we looked she only put $200 on the bill along with 2 cards. She tried it. Strike 3. I'm done with that place. read more

Very unfriendly staff, every hosts in the front and all the servers, including our own server was very cold, seemed annoyed the whole time, until it was time to pay. It was the first and the only smile we saw! And don't let the overrated reviews fool you, this place does not look clean, stingy carpet, and has a generally eek factor throughout. Food is nothing special, oysters at the weekend buffet are not even kept cold on the display table, and of course doesn't even look fresh. read more

I've been here several times and have never come away disappointed. There's a reason Baltimore magazine gives these guys consecutive award for best crab cakes--they're huge and absolutely delicious! Cream of crab bowls are also quite reasonably sized and plentiful. Only time I was disappointment was with their Reuben sandwich--when they left the cole slaw on the bread too long which made it soggy. Otherwise, very reasonably priced and lots of great food and atmosphere! read more

I personally thought that the meal that I had was pretty good and tasteful. What I had was the Prime Rib and fries.I found that the meat was OK. the drinks tah I had with my delicious meal were also very good as well. :) Did not find anything wrong with the french fries. The dining rooms and bar area was super clean and well organized and the management and staff were extremely very friendly, helpful and respectful. The decor was ok but they could have used some more nautical paintings on the walls. Liked the faux lighthouse where the register if located. The outside parking lot was really very cleans and well maintained without any major potholes on the surface.The large parkong lot was big enough to serve the restaurant that it was designed to accompany, Two Thumbs Up!!!!! :) Dave E. Lepkowski read more

In my opinion they have the best crab cake in the Eastern Baltimore County area. It's huge (softball size) and truly has jumbo lumps. Many claim they are jumbo lump, but it's just not true. Service is friendly and the restaurant is clean. Other favorites on the menu include crab dip, crab soup, and even the fries! My only complaint is the time it takes to get your food. On two recent occasions it took 45 minutes to get food after ordering. Today I ordered take out. I was quoted 25 minutes and it took 55. They were not crowded. I recognize quality food takes time, but make sure to go in with the mindset it will take time. If you order takeout, double the time to avoid frustration. I will continue to frequent this business! read more

This is once-again, an enjoyable destination to endulge in sweet and succulent crabcakes as in years past. Recently, the original chef responsible for the preparation of the restaurant's famous crabcakes and seafood dishes has returned and is providing memorable, mouthwatering meals for all occasions. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal of crabcakes and lamb chops and were pleasantly served by our waitress Caity, who provided outstanding service. Meanwhile, the restaurant's owner, John ensured our appetizers and meals met our approval. Certainly, the outstanding quality of the food and service has returned from years past and I encourage everyone to enjoy a memorable meal at By the Docks. The Crabcakes are a MUST! read more

Nothing exceptional and nothing terrible. The food is OK and the service was good. I wouldn't drive a long way to get here but if you are in the area it's OK. read more

I wish I could rate it a zero. The service was lousy, the entree arrived before the appetizer plates were cleared and to make matters worst the bus boy asked me to hand him my plates and when I turned the plate over it was dirty. I cancelled my order and went to TGIF. The gratuity was added to the meal, even the to go food. This was for sub par service. I will not eat there ever. read more

Went to celebrate a graduation with friends. I'd never been here before but I was hoping for a good dining experience. Unfortunately, that didn't happen because the service was piss poor and the management is a joke! We sat down at 8:05pm and didn't even get acknowledged by a waiter until 10-15 minutes later. He took our drink orders and came back with a few incorrect drinks. He then left after giving the drinks and disappeared for another 15 minutes. When he walked past the table again one of us had to stop and ask if he could take our orders. Side note: bread is complimentary and we had to ask for that as well. The food took a while to come out and it wasn't even hot. Who wants to eat cold shrimp? we waited even longer for the food and ended up asking for management because we had been there for at least an hour at that point with no food. Luckily someone in management walked past the table and we stopped him to inform him of the poor service thus far. He stated that he would get the person above him to come over and that person never came. Here's why, he met the waiter at the top of the stairs and asked him to get the food. We could clearly see the two of them. Again, the food was lukewarm at best. During the course of the meal we had to refill our own water and soda glasses. Eventually we asked for management AGAIN and finally got the right person but he was EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL! He said we should've gotten up to find a server and we should've asked for everything. After 20 minutes of debating with him, he offered a 15% percent discount but then said never mind because he "wasn't liking the situation". We never asked for anything but a manager and he was USELESS! He is a poor poor excuse for a manager and he shouldn't be in charge. The waiter needs re-training immediately! I hope better service is given during this restaurant week. I will never recommend this establishment. read more

A miss for me. Went with a few business partners and wasn't impressed at all. Brussels sprouts were soggy and over-sauced. Salad was below par with the typical croutons and green lettuce. Tuna just ok. Nothing great to report here. I feel like I wasted a dinner in a great city. read more

Not too expensive and the food was great! 2 meals and an appetizer for under 40 bucks :) we got the chicken Chesapeake which was huge and eggplant Parmesan with a salad. It was great! read more

This place has one of the best crab cakes I have ever eaten. I am from Baltimore so crabs/crab cakes are something I know a little bit about. The crab cake was delicious and it is huge! It's so big that most will take half of it home. The service was great and I will be going back again soon. read more

The food and the service was good! I wishes my steak fries were hot, but I was hungry and I was only eating a few of them. Menu could of had some less pricer dishes. read more