I attended By The Docks Restaurant in Middle River, MD, a month ago for a retirement dinner. Everything on the menu looks delicious. This was my first time, and I want something good and filling to eat. I decided on the double crab cake platter. The waitress asked me how I wanted my crab cake broiled or fried. I did not know which one to get, so the waitress advised me that I could get one of each, so the next time I know which I want. So I said Great, I'll order one of each. Well, today, I had a lunch date with my best friend. Both of us love seafood, so I told her this was a great spot to go. As we entered the building and checked in, the receptionist was very nice and set us at our table. A waitress came over to take our order. As we told the friendly waitress our order, my girlfriend wanted the crab cake platter, but she did not know which one she wanted, fried or broiled. I suggest she get the one single crab cake, and I get the double, so I can get one fried and one broiled. When I told the waitress what I wanted, she advised me that my request was not honored. I told the waitress and my friend about the offer I was giving to me from another waitress about a month ago. She advised me that ordering two different orders regarding the crab cakes will confuse the cooking staff. So, I said nicely, seriously. She also said the cooking staff was short-handed. So, I said will take the crab cakes broiled then. I apologize to my friend for being unable to try the fried crab cake. So when the platters arrived at our table, everything looked good, except the fries. The fries were cold, and we told the waitress, and she brought us some new, hot fries. After we paid for our dinner and left a tip for the waitress, I apologized to my friend I'm really sorry for the service of the food. read more

By the docks has a good crab cake, not great. There are large chunks of jumbo lump crabmeat. The filler is bland, lacking flavor and old bay. There were no crab shells, thankfully. The crab meat was strategically on the top and outer edges of the crab cake. Right in the center was the tasteless filler. The mashed potatoes and corn were basic. Corn kernels were soggy; no crispiness or crunch. The gravy had an old taste and started to clump. read more

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Omg! I have good news about this gem in Essex. So on this cold Saturday the family wanted to go out to eat and somewhere different. Since we live about 35 mins away we were hoping this spot was a good choice. Was it ever! We were a party of 7 and everyone enjoyed their food. Let me just say if chemo didn't slow my appetite I would have devoured my food. The food was A1. Now can I speak about my server? I hope I get his name right ( chemo brain) . Brandon was excellent ! I'm sure the rest of the severs are great but he was on top of everything. Our cups were never empty. He made our whole experience wonderful. Give that man a raise! I can't wait to go back. Oh and the crab cakes were some of the best I've tasted. We will be back. So many of my co workers told me about this great place but I'm so glad we came in today. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

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Went here for a birthday dinner when the restaurant we reserved was closed (don't ask). It ended up being restaurant week and the food was great. We all had the RW menu and liked all of the options. Our server Abner was great and attentive to our table, the restaurant was nicely decorated and the pace of the meal was perfect. The birthday man enjoyed his day! A must try if you're in the area. read more

The crab cakes and hand-cut Obay fries are good. I'm a seafood lover and enthusiast. My friends and family members ask me where to go for seafood. On my mother's birthday hair was in her food. The manager did not come over to apologize but instructed the waiter, Kimberly (great waitress) to deduct 20% off the check. Great customer service is quick, easy, personalized, and empathetic......they missed the "empathetic" part. Will NOT recommend or return. The Interior needs a make-over, dirty bathrooms, and dirty black cloth napkins with food stains. Disgusting!!! read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Crab cake and shrimp salad BLT WITH A PIECE OF HAIR!!!!! Disgusting! - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Service is good. Food is mediocre. The crab cake is a lot of crab, not much filler. So that's very good. Most places are up charging especially during covid and they have kept their prices competitive. They have specials during the week from rib night to pasta night. Drinks are very good and decent priced. Plenty of parking. Negative thing is the sides suck especially the creamed spinach. Horrible. Baked potato is always dry and brown. But whatever! I don't go for the side dishes. Sorry for the crab cake pic. I was hungry! LOL read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Crab cake and a peek of the fried shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Horrible experience. Made a reservation for 7:15pm and when we arrived there was a crowd of people. We went up to the host stand and told them we were here for our reservation but the guy told us "there are reservations in front of you" (very rudely). We asked "how many people?" He just told us a lot. Never gave us an answer until we went back up. He told us only 3 people were in front so we waited but more people then 3 people went to get there tables so we went back up there the the answer changed to 4 more reservations in front of us. They never gave us a clear answer. We did not get a call about a table being ready until 8pm, so 45 minutes after our reservation. I could have been understanding if there was clear communication but the guy at the host stand was absolutely rude and was not helpful. Should have been truthful about how many more reservations were in front of us rather than lying to make us wait longer. read more

Long wait food over cooked management delay to even speak about the reservation at 6 PM and we are still sitting here at 8:10 PM. Just getting our food. read more

So a reservation was made for a Friday night at 6 for 3. Not at all busy, yet we were seated in the bar area without being asked if that was where we would be happy. (It only mattered to me). So here's the low down on the food. Octopus appetizer- the octopus was cut in pieces rather than being served whole which was a nice touch. Too many capers and a bit high on the vinegar for my taste. Rockfish dinner- fish was cooked perfectly. Came with roasted potatoes but a sauce was put on them and didn't appreciate that. There was also capers used on my fish and was once again too much of a good thing. The rolls were "pedestrian" - food service quality and not what I would expect of a better restaurant. The portions are generous and if I go back I'll know to ask them to limit their capers on my meal. read more

We have been to The Docks twice now! Once for lunch and once for dinner. Both times we had great seafood and service!

On Friday 31 January Restaurant week, made reservations thru open table at 5:30. Went immediately to table and seated, waiter was at our table within minutes, we reviewed menu, both Dailey diner menus and the Restaurant week. After reviewing both the Restaurant Week was selected, the seafood and crab cakes were very good accompanied by salad, appetizer, and dessert. We could not eat all of the order at "$45.00 each". We have visited the restaurant before and haven't been disappointed but this restaurant week was very very good and i would recommend it. read more

Just popped in to restaurant in the area. Staying at a hotel in the area due to losing my home to a fire. John the owner came over and greeted us. The staff was spot on! Happy delightful courteous most delicious softball size of a softball all lump. Lastly vegetables grilled sautéed zucchini and broccoli rabe style. Delicious read more

Great service and delicious food!!! I have been wanting to come here for years based off of the reviews and food photos. Needless to say, they didn't disappoint. read more

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Traveling from NY! A great quick lunch, our waitress Sharon T was wonderful, very attentive! The fish tacos were ! Crab cake- 7/10 Calamari- 7/10 Crab soup- 10/10 read more

We had the crab cakes and were very disappointed. Tasteless mush that left me wondering why people were recommending this place. The side of fries were very starchy and cold. The "coleslaw" served in a small plastic cup was also tasteless and Ive have better coleslaw from Walmart! The raw oyster appetizer were also a disappointment, because they had a bitter aftertaste that was a little disturbing. The service was good though, but that is the best I can give to this disappointing meal. read more

So good! Crab cake sandwich was delicious. Gratin potatoes look better than they taste but they don't taste bad - just like normal potatoes prepared differently. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Crab cake sandwich with gratin potatoes - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

The food was mediocre, didn't have much flavor and was quite plain. We all left unsatisfied. Staff was not as attentive as I would have liked. Ambiance was blegh. Walking in there were a bunch of dead spiders on the walls. For all the hype on this restaurant, it was quite a let down, especially for the price! read more

My friend introduced my to By the Docks about a year ago. I just went and it was freshly remodeled. The restaurant is unassuming on the outside. It's nice on the inside and the service is great. The menu is really good and so it the food. The cocktail options are fantastic. My partner got a smoked old fashion (pictured) and I'm obsessed with their gin mule. This place always serves a good meal, with good service, and at a good price. I will be back. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - The Sunken Treasure - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

The food is to die for. I had crab cakes and salad with fries My crab cake was very flavorful and grilled just right. Nice place for a family dinner. It can get crowded but we had a reservation. The service was on point. read more

I actually came here years ago for a birthday dinner and forgot about it. I didn't remember how good the food was. My boyfriend, who had never been before, kept seeing By the Docks photos on his IG explore and had been dying to go so we came during Restaurant week yesterday for lunch. They have their own private lot for parking. We were seated swiftly. We looked at the 3 course lunch menu for restaurant week. Our server was very friendly and energetic. She helped my indecisive boyfriend make his decision by giving their crab cake high praise. He was not disappointed either. He ended up getting a crab cake sandwich and I got the Captain's Club, which came with a crab cake, shrimp salad, and bacon. Before that, we started off with a cup of Maryland Crab Soup. The soup was ok. It had big chunks of crabmeat, not shredded up like in other crab soups. It wasn't as warm as I hoped and it needed a little more Old Bay seasoning which is available in a shaker at the tables. The entrees were massive! So much food for lunch. My sandwich was soooooo worth breaking my keto diet for. So much flavor in every bite. The fries that came with it were great too. The sandwich was so big that I could only eat one half and I took the other half to go. My boyfriend enjoyed his crab cake sandwich as well. He couldn't even eat it as a sandwich because it was so big so he ate with a fork and ate the bread as a side. Dessert came with it but we got them boxed to go since we were so stuffed. I ordered the Chocolate Cake and he got the cannoli. I enjoyed the cake but it was very sweet so I had to save half of it. My boyfriend was not really a fan of the cannoli. I tried a bite and didn't care for it much either. Overall, I'm very happy with our experience. The amount of food we received for about $20 each was not bad at all. He's excited to come back. I'm glad I finally brought him here. read more

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Has some of the best sea food and still at an affordable price. They have different specials each night but we went on lobster night. It was so delicious. Nice big space with a cool nautical vibe. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Stuffed Lobster Tail - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Great food, served great by people at great prices. Simply the best at everything on the menu. The octopus and the dolmades are the bomb! We have been patrons for years. Highly recommend for a great meal! read more

Lobster was great. Server was very attentive. Just wish they had twisted teas. Nice and clean. read more

By The Docks was very accommodating to my family when we called last minute to secure seating for 17 people in between viewing services. We were seated at 6 max per table and spread out in the dining room due to COVID precautions. No big deal, it was nice to see this restaurant taking the virus seriously. We also wore masks when entering/leaving the restaurant. We had two servers who were very attentive and friendly. Our drink glasses were never empty and they kept our bread baskets full. The food portions are large! My boyfriend ordered the crab cake sandwich and brother ordered a burger. Both the burger and crab cake were larger than the buns. I ordered the New York strip with mashed potatoes and Caesar salad. The salad was very filling, I ended up taking half of my entree home. Others in our party ordered seafood entrees, steak, pasta, and "homemade" chicken tenders. The pasta and tenders were just meh but the rest of the food was good. You will be sure to have a good, filling meal when ordering any seafood or steak entree. read more

These were the best oysters we've had in quite some time. The brunch Buffett options were hot and fresh. And the servers were all very friendly, overall a wonderful experience. read more

First of all - this place is well known for their crab cakes - so, of course, that's what I ordered. What did you do to this crab cake? I took 2 bites and there was so much filler, I couldn't even continue. Thank God I had shrimp and scallops to eat. The crab cake was a disappointment since I traveled 30 miles to go there for that crab cake. Service was not great - I don't think the waitress ever came back to our table without us waving her down first. Then she seemed irritated that we asked for something (sauce, drinks, ketchup, bread). I was shocked that even when the bread was brought to the table, there were four rolls, and there were five of us sitting at the table. Also, 18% was automatically added to the check despite the poor service - we weren't given a choice to lower what WE wanted to give. So, mediocre food and poor service = 18% tip. 2 stars for the shrimp, scallops and dessert. Not sure if I will ever return. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - a person holding a piece of bread - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Fantastic food and great service!! Really nice restaurant. Not too fancy, yet not too casual. I ordered the salmon and it was so good. The crab dip was also really great! Our server was really sweet too. I can't wait to come back here again. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Asian style salmon with potato salad and roasted vegetables. Fish was AMAZING! - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

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Dined here on a Saturday afternoon with my 3 siblings. We were seated immediately and Blaine, our waiter, took our drink order. While looking over the menu, Blaine came to our table and made recommendations. Crab cakes of course, soup, salad, Prime rib and Babyback ribs. While finishing up our soups and salad, our entrees came out. What a beautiful sight!! Everything looked delicious!! Blaine was an excellent server. He was very attentive and knowledgeable of the menu selections and how they tasted. As per his recommendation, the baby backs were delicious, as was everything else. Thank you for a great afternoon of good food and excellent customer service. read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Baby back ribs, crabcake and fries - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

i just had my lunch,a crab cake platter from By the Docks .. The presentation was very nice,i had my carry out.Sandwich on toasted white bread,tartar sauce,mayonnaise n ketchup were in small containers,also homemade chips n large pickle sticks..& small salad..$32..Bad news the crab cake was full of lump crabmeat,but to my taste (eating seafood of every type for 79 yrs) it tasted like imported crab meat,not much flavor at all.I would prefer a smaller Crab Cake from Schultzs,full of flavor,to an over size Crabcake lacking the "Maryland flavor!".i do love this restaurant,but just not the "Crab cakes!" read more

Excellent local establishment with great seafood. Their managers and staff are all professional and attentive to you from the time you come in the door until you leave. They serve you a lot of food for a great price! Happy Easter! read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Saturday/Sunday Brunch - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Service: was extremely slow, they seemed disorganized. Servers moving between tables continuously bumped into customers while eating, including myself and my date, with no acknowledgement. They didn't bring waters - had to ask for them. We ordered drinks, they only brought one and forgot the other - took 15 mins to get the forgotten drink only after reminding them. Positives- staff was friendly and welcoming. Food: I hate to admit it because this place has a cult following, but the Cream of Crab soup was god awful. You could find better Cream of Crab soup at a homeless shelter soup kitchen. The other two appetizers were just okay. The steak we ordered medium-rare, came out super rare - had to send back. Positives - the crab cake was very good. Conclusion - other than a crab cake only for carry out - we won't be back and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone other than just for that. read more

Not at all by the docks. The food was mediocre at best. The food we ordered was over cooked, the calamari I would swear had shells but I know better, to much breading. Had the tuna steak, cooked well, not to much flavor when had it cooked Asian style. read more

Love the jumbo lump crab cakes(8 oz). They're delicious and I've been there the last three weeks taking advantage of the crab cake special (Tuesday nights, can do carry out). The best crab cakes I've had in years. Expecting to continue to patronize this restaurant for the crab cakes as well as the steaks (steak night is Thursday, can't do carry out). Porterhouse wasn't too bad, not really impressive. Next time I would try the prime rib. I will say, I was not at all impressed with the cream of crab soup. It was somewhat vinegary, not creamy at all. Real disappointment. read more

We went to By the Docks for restaurant week and were truly expecting small portions of the regular menu items. When I say for 40 dollars I got a 3 course meal with dessert and the food was so good. The portions were very large and I had to bring half of my dinner and my desert home. The place was super busy but even with the amount of people the staff was wonderful and we got our food quickly. Highly recommend. read more

Drinks are pricey but food is always consistent and delicious, service is a lil slow but there always nice, Tuesday crab cake night is the best ! read more

Another of the places we went while in Baltimore visiting our daughter. By the Docks in known for their lump crab cakes, and I can see why. Ate here Monday night for Lobster Night, and again on Tuesday for Crab Cake Special night. So combining 2 visits into one review, since it saves space on the internets. I'll start with Monday, since no great story ever started with "Here, hold my salad"... oh, wait. Wrong site. Anyway, had a reservation, as it's recommended during peak times, but didn't need it. Place was half full at best, but there was a pretty big storm going through the area which might have kept ppl home. Seated right away, and our server arrived for drink and app orders. No beers on draft, but a decent selection of bottles and cans, to include some crafts along with the mainstream regular brands. We did stuffed mushrooms as an app, and they were tremendous. Basically their crab cake mixture stuffed into a portobello cap and baked. For dinner, Mama had the single cake with slaw and asparagus, and I had the a single cake and 3 fried shrimp with potatoes bravas and zucchini. Daughter had the lobster special with potatoes bravas and creamed corn. Everything was absolutely amazing, with 2 exceptions: daughters corn was reported to be "very blah, not even as good as from a can", and my shrimp were very over cooked to the point of being inedible. To their credit, I was only charged for the crab cake and not the shrimp. Tuesday night we all had crab cakes and similar sides, and it was all outstanding. Crab dip with a baguette for an app was delightful. Now on to service. Monday was "not so hot". I don't blame our server so much as management, as our server was also assigned to a large party of around 12 guests in addition to our table and possible one other small party. This overloaded him to the point of not being able to give his attention where it was needed. Fast forward to Tuesday, and Brandon was exemplary. Prompt and attentive, he stopped by numerous time after apps and meals were delivered to check in on us and his other tables. A big thumbs-up for him. They do a 10% military discount on all regular prices menu items minus drinks, and the portions are huge. They also offer their cakes either fried or broiled. If you, like me, are used to the traditional southern fried crab cakes, do them broiled instead. Total game changer, as I may never order another fried cake again. read more

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The best service i've ever gotten!!! Our server, Christian, was so kind, filled our drinks before we asked and made conversation with all of us. Our food came out super quick during dinner rush, which is great considering we were a large party. All of our dishes were amazing, perfectly cooked and hot. We had a birthday at our table and the restaurant gave us a piece of cake on the house!!! Outstanding service, food, and Ambiance. will be coming back soon! read more

Came on Sunday for our usual family outing! No wait period which was awesome. David was our server he was very polite and attentive. We started off with an appetizer. The crab nachos were ok. The crab dip wasn't hot and was missing key ingredients. The crab cake was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! The mashed potatoes needed butter and a pinch of salt and the broccoli wasn't seasoned either. Everyone else enjoyed their food. I will definitely be back for another crab cake that's for sure! Thank you!! read more

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I just love, love, love this place. I haven't been in a while due to my work schedule. We had Sarah as our waitress she was very very nice. She told me to get the grouper, when I say I wanted to slap someone it was the best and my new dish!!!! read more

By The Docks Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Middle River, Maryland

Food was good and service was great from the waiter. However, when entering there was no greeting. The young lady that was at the front didn't say anything to me and the gentleman I had to say excuse me just to be seated. Also, I received my bill, which was $57.02, gave the waiter cash, $70.00. He returned with $7.65. Told him he gave me the wrong change he stated someone else was handling the cash. He came back with just $17.00. I just left it at that. They can keep that .98 cents. But it's crazy how they have someone handling money who can't do simple math. Food good but pay with card! And fyi yes I gave the waiter a tip... read more