Blue Crab - $160 for XLarge a dozen | $85 for Medium a dozen. The bread that came with Crab Dip was very good. Crab was good; Softshell Crab was good. We waited 40 minutes on a Saturday 330pm, not too bad. Ask for the crab hat it was free! read more

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I just love everything about this place! Good, crabs and drinks are always good! I will visit again and again! read more

If you're looking for an authentic Maryland blue crab experience, Cantler's is the place to go. Nestled along Mill Creek, which flows into the Severn River just outside Annapolis, this iconic waterfront crab house has been serving locals and visitors since 1974. The setting alone makes the trip worthwhile. A special thank you to our server, Christian, who was friendly, attentive, and made our visit even more enjoyable. Crabs are sold by the dozen and are typically available in Extra Large, Large, Medium, and Small sizes, depending on the day's catch. A chalkboard lets you know what's available, and seeing the live crabs in the dockside tanks leaves no doubt about how fresh they are. We ordered a dozen large blue crabs, along with an appetizer of longneck clams, a soft-shell crab sandwich, red potatoes, and a cup of clam chowder. Everything was fresh and delicious, and enjoying it while overlooking the water somehow made it taste even better. The menu offers plenty of seafood favorites, along with several "land lover" options for those who aren't in the mood for seafood. There is both indoor seating and covered outdoor seating, making it a great spot regardless of the weather. Be prepared to grab a mallet and get to work cracking your crabs--it's all part of the fun and a true Maryland tradition. The Cantler family has worked in the seafood industry for five generations, and the restaurant remains family-owned today. It's considered a Maryland institution and is proudly featured on the Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail. If you want the real Chesapeake Bay crab house experience--not a tourist gimmick--Cantler's should be at the top of your list. read more

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Can'tler's never has ever disappointed! So let's talk about it... Location: you may seem to be driving to nowhere but when you get there the views are relaxing and calming. (Tip: Go early or during the weekday to secure outdoor seating) Service: the service is above average to good. (Tip: Practice patience the servers are juggling multiple tables in a small space but overall the servers and everyone else does really well) Ambiance: Waterfront dining with an old school look for the inside dining. It's a classic look. Food; YUMMY DELICIOUS (Tip: Hushpuppies with honey butter go with everything) Yes they have crabs, shrimp, scallop and more!! Before you leave go downstairs and see the live crabs in their open water pools and take a seat and enjoy the breeze and boats sailing by. Would I go back? Do you have to ask?!?&? I would and I have! read more

Cantler's Riverside - Yum! - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

I checked this place out with a cousin of mine on the weekend. We were greeted with warm and welcoming service. It was jam packed on a Saturday evening! Our waitress was sweet, but seemed very much overwhelmed. I can understand, as they seemed genuinely understaffed for the quantity of patrons that they were serving. Ambiance is bustling, you have to squeeze pass people if you are navigating the restaurant or even heading to the bathroom LOL. Now, onto the food! The crab dip was juicy, succulent and delicious! Great crab ratio & also the bread was freshly baked! I ordered the seafood platter which came with coleslaw, fried fish, a crabcake, french fries & a fried lobster . Very flavorful and also everything was cooked to perfection! It was a nice medley! I enjoyed my meal and my time here. I do want to re-visit to try more items from the menu in the future. Cheers! read more

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Cantler's is a classic. It's a victim of its own success sometimes, so busy that the line just to park your car stretches way down the street, but if you can get it at an outside table on a nice sunny day, I can't think of a better place to eat in the entire DMV. It's pretty simple, at least the way we do it: just a big pile of delicious, fresh, succulent blue crabs dumped in front of you, and you go to town with a hammer. I really like their french fries, too. That's all I need to make myself very happy on a sunny afternoon. read more

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Specialize in crab. We skipped the giant crabs because they were smaller since it was offseason and more expensive. a dozen medium were 85 dollars and jumbo 160. I stuck to a crabcake and my wife got peel and eat shrimp and a cup of crab soup. All good. We went for lunch since dinner is always packed and no reservations. Lunch was crowded on a Wednesday off the bay and they have their own crab tanks. Service was excellent. read more

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Omg our newest favorite seafood spot for crabs, fried clam strips, crab bisque soup, mussels! The soft shelled crab was ok we thought but rest was AMAZING! Service was nice. Waitress kept checking on us as well as new trainee guy. They had indoor and outdoor. We wanted outdoor but was already full so we opted for inside. We got the key lime pie bc hubby loves key lime pie. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

BAM!!! Waterfront dining on Maryland Blue Crabs...Pick Me! Pick Me! a go to spot for your afternoon.

I went here for the first time today, because on Youtube, Maryland crab lovers put this place on top of their rankings. The crabs here were amazing, the clam chowder was good, the salad that my mom ordered was good, and the hush puppies were delicious. Another thing that I like about the place is the area where the live blue crabs are. read more

Nice waterside restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating! We visited on a Monday so it wasn't too busy, we sat at the bar and the bartenders were super nice and attentive. Decided to split some seafood so we did the crab dip and the combo of steamed shrimp, mussels and clams. Both came out hot and delicious! They also do a mean orange crush. Be prepared for a delicious crab smell if you eat inside, but definitely recommend! read more

Cantler's Riverside - Jimmy's Steamed Combo - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Took my brother when he was visiting and would recommend for a "family night out." Fun to see the dock where the crabs are brought in. It's like a converted home in a neighborhood that happens to be by the water. It's got a "family-vibe." Waitress took the time to show us how to eat crab too! read more

Great little hidden gem spot on the water for locals. Hidden inside of a community. Service was great. Food is OK but most people go there for the crabs. read more

We visited here with family! It was a weird drive to get to, but we were able to find it :) Jordan, our waiter, was fantastic! Very friendly, patient and attentive. He was awesome! I ordered the cream of crab and hush puppies. Everything was extremely delicious! I'll have to come back here to try some actual crab or maybe a po boy. But we'll be back! read more

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The 3 stars is for the workers and the environment. Everyone was really sweet and considerate in their service! The food is VERY MID! High prices and the quality, presentation and flavor do not match. Nothing had seasoning or true flavor besides the crab cake which was full with crab meat and had a decent profile. It was also on the smaller side for the amount being paid. We also ordered a dozen of large crabs for $180 which is also, insaneee! We ended up sending a few back due to them being empty and they also lack in flavor and tasted like they were just cooked in water. We asked for seasoning and that was the only flavor added. All and all, I wouldn't return for the food but for a drinks at the bar! The bartender was amazing! read more

As someone who moved from the west coast, definitely been wanting to try the east coast steamed blue crab was very different but a sold 9/10! I'm use to having a regular seafood boil but this was just as good. Crabs tasting very fresh. I do recommend getting the biggest crabs they have it's worth the money wish we got that size instead. The crab dip was definitely 10/10 must get here. read more

Cantler's Riverside - steamed blue crab / medium - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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10/10 for Cantler's! Was in the area with some friends and we had such a craving for some seafood. After checking reviews on yelp, Cantler's was the winner and we had to try it. We arrived at the restaurant at 11:15 and it was already packed inside! We were able to get a table outside by the water which we really enjoyed. Our waitress's was simply amazing and dealt with our shenanigans. We unfortunately knocked down our drinks a few times and our waitress was so gracious when it happened and understood. She was super nice, attentive and great! For food, we ordered a number of items. For drinks, we ordered the strawberry daiquiris which were delicious and strong. For food, we ordered only 3 crabs since honestly we didn't know our abilities in being a pro like other people in opening them, two orders of the shrimp, hush puppies and the crab cake sandwich without the bread. Everything was delicious and came out really quickly. The dozen crabs were kinda expensive but worth it with the amount of people you have with you. For a dozen, it was about $155 that day. We will definitely come back! It was a great experience! Pro tip: get there early! It's definitely a place to be and to not wait on a long wait, I would highly recommend to get there early! read more

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To start I have to say that the drive from downtown Annapolis to this location was a beautiful filled with lush greenery worth the drive alone. This restaurant is definitely popular with locals and is in its own beautiful world on the water. The staff is young and accommodating, and we sat outside. A good choice because of the wonderful view of the river. I have to say at the outset the crabcake was the best we've had so far in Annapolis and compares with the best we've had in general. It was sweet flavorful and true to the area - no filler. Even though the portion may look small to some, it was very filling. The fish and chip special was very lightly fried with tender morsels of cod. One of our guests had the full cod dinner and the fish was beautifully cooked. The sweet potato fries were sweet and pulpy without being over seasoned. I had the blackened tunafish, which was very good and flavorful. The asparagus sides were carefully cooked and very flavorful. Another one of us got the new potatoes which were perfect. There is no doubt in our mind that we will return for the beautiful view, the fresh food, and the festive, friendly atmosphere. The only downside were the frozen piña colada's, which our friends ordered were very amateurishly mixed. We loved that there was a thick paper covering applied over the table and simply removed at the end of our meal. All in all, it was a down to earth experience, celebratory, and fun. read more

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Wow is this place popular even at $10 a crab (yes $120 for #1s dozen)!!! So we passed ... and got the crab and cod sandwiches. Both were fine, nothing to return to Annapolis for. Service tad slow, as noted they are packed, even at opening. Unless you're visiting the area and want to experience famous MD blue crabs, otherwise this "neighborhood " hangout has become overpriced. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Crab sandwich with corn - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Went here for seafood on the 4th of July, and enjoyed the vibes, music, and food. . The interaction with other customers was great! The drive to the restaurant was like going into a hidden community off narrow back roads, so drive with cautionThere was a wait, like 30 to 45 minutes but once seated, the server came to orders, the. It's all good from there.! We ordered 1/2 dozen of XL crabs, shrimp po boy with tater tots, large order of steamed shrimp, hush puppies, and Caesar salads. May not sound like a lot but it was. If you looking forward to a good chill spot and good eats, check this place out. Also, be careful going the wrong direction, you will end up in someone's house. Not a bad either. read more

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(Delayed Posting due to the time need to clean up after an amazing experience of cracking Maryland blue crabs...) We've been living in Annapolis for about 6 months and have been following reviews closely in order to find just the right place to try Maryland blue crabs. Cantler's Riverside repeatedly was mentioned so we made that our target for when our kids were with us. As the summer deepened, we began to question our decision making process. Did we really want to be sitting outside in the sweltering heat working to deshell our dinner? We debated. We agonized. And we finally threw caution to the wind and made our way over to Cantler's for a Thursday evening early dinner with the boys. We hoped we would be able to catch some indoor seating And success! Parking was plentiful. Indoor seating was plentiful when we arrived at 5:15pm. And we jumped right in to this crab extravaganza. (Side note: the indoor seating was filling up by 5:30, so running is definitely everything) The review for Cantler's is very short: we worded a dozen "super" crabs, and while pricey, they were extremely succulent, and very well seasoned. Absolutely the quintessential experience for the kids. And, ok, the adults too' We also order a platter of soft crab (note to correct Maryland nomenclature - known elsewhere as soft shelled crab). Absolutely perfectly done. And the fired fish/crab cake from the Captain Lou's platter added a very nice variety to the crab feast. Add in top of this the gracious service and the excellent shore cove and Cantler's made for a quintessential Annapolis evening. Now I cannot wait to try the out door patio. But that will have to wait for October... read more

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I have been going to Cantler's for years, mostly to sit by the water and pick crabs and soak up the Bay atmosphere. Recently I went with a group of family, some from out of the area, as it is convenient, the food is good, and is a good introduction to Bay life. While my out of town family thought it was great, I was honestly a little disappointed with the food. First, however, the entire staff were incredible and it is hard to beat the setting. Everyone was friendly, authentic and helpful. One of our group was celebrating a big birthday and the Cantler's team made him feel very special. Second, some of the food was very good such as the fresh oysters, oyster chowder and the hush puppies. Unfortunately, a lot of the food wasn't great, especially the seafood sampler and the crab cake. Maybe we should have asked for the crab cake and sampler to be broiled rather than fried, and that may have been why we were disappointed. The crab cake was particularly disappointing as it seemed mostly leg and backfill meat with a fair amount of filler and then deep fried. Will I go back, mostly like because of the staff and the gorgeous setting, but will only order steamed crabs to pick. read more

We went Candler's this evening. It was awful. We have been there many times. Every time has gotten worse. We got large crabs 1/2 dozen for $60. They were awful. Our waitress was horrible. We had to ask another waiter for her to come to our table 4 times. Like a refill, more napkins , and ask for our bill twice. We won't be back. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Greeters were welcoming and the entire staff seemed to be enjoying their jobs. Nicole was our server and she was truly on point. Glad we ordered a few large crabs with our meals. The size presented with heavy meat that l we found sweet and fresh. You can't go wrong with the stuff shrimp - AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! The crab warm pretzel for a starter was right on time SCRUMPTIOUS! Watching the crabs arrive are photos herewith. We can't wait for a return visit. Good tasty food that woke up our taste buds. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Stuff shrimp, potato salad and coleslaw - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Food was great overall. The smoked fish dish was number one--I could've easily eaten the whole thing myself. The accompanying baguette looked hard at first glance but was surprisingly soft and fluffy inside. It was so good we ended up ordering another. Both the potato salad and coleslaw were amazing--fresh, flavorful, and perfectly balanced. The cream of crab, however, was underwhelming--not worth the price and easy to skip. We ordered half a dozen large blue crabs, which were boiled and sprinkled with a savory seasoning. They were noticeably meatier than typical grocery store crabs and quite filling, but keep in mind that even the large ones don't yield a ton of meat--I'd recommend at least 2-3 crabs per person if you're coming hungry. Service was attentive, but the overall experience felt a bit off. While everyone was polite, the energy was chaotic and not particularly welcoming. We were seated right next to the patio door, and the wind kept blowing my hair into my face--not ideal when you're elbow-deep in crab. The space itself feels more like a shack than a restaurant, but it's clear the focus here is on the food rather than the ambiance. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Half dozen blue crab - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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I've been here several times in the service is great. There's outdoor seating as well as indoor seating. It's a friendly casual atmosphere. The crabs are always good and fresh and I just love the house puppies read more

Cantler's Riverside - Hush Puppies and crabs - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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These crabs were very good and seasoned well! This was my first time here! Servers were great and ambiance was okay but a lot of children were running around. Crabs were a bit overcooked and hard to crack but delicious nonetheless. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Crabs! - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

I cannot compare this restaurant to any other seafood restaurant in Maryland at this time. But all I know is the outdoor patio is welcoming, the location is perfect as it's by by the water and the food was amazing!!! Anyplace that serves sweet potato fries is alright with me lol. But seriously, the crab was seasoned to perfection, the chowder was creamy and tasty, the clams were crispy and the hush puppies were delicious!!! If you're in the area, visit this spot. It gets crowded so don't come too hungry in case there's a wait! read more

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People recommended this place for crab when we visited Maryland, but unfortunately, the crab was overpriced and not good. Some of the spices were very salty, and one of the crabs was bad and smelled unpleasant. Honestly, we could have bought better-tasting crab at the market without going all the way there. The only positives are that the restaurant is next to the river, the view is nice, and the staff were friendly. read more

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When we were planning our last minute trip to the area we looked up waterfront/crab spots and this place was mentioned several times, I see why. We visited on a late Sunday evening and the place was packed. It is tucked back at the backside of a residential area along the water. It's very casual but don't let the fool you, the food is amazing. The main seller is the blue crab and every table had them. They come in 4 different sizes in any quantity. We sat down and our server was great, she was so friendly and had so much small talk about WV and travel it was great. We tried both crab soups, ordered special steamed shrimp, crabs and hushpuppies. everything was so good and so fresh, I only wish we lived closer. read more

we drove 45 minutes from DC to eat blue crabs. Get in the restaurant and there's a sign that says no hard shell blue crabs. Don't make the same mistake as us, call first. We ended up eating at another place. As this place comes up highly recommended restaurant for maryland crab - they should put this information in their website . read more

Cantler's Riverside - outside of the restaurant : very pretty - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Our one girl in the DMV was to eat, and more specifically to eat seafood. Cantler's did not let us down!! We ordered a ton of food - half a dozen of raw oysters, half a dozen crab, two crab cakes, half a pound of shrimp and a bucket of mussels. Surprisingly, the two of us finished it all and it was DELICIOUS! We could tell the seafood was fresh out the water. It was so sweet and melted in our mouth. My favorite was the oysters. They were huge but didn't taste fishy. The crab cakes were packed with meat. The crab itself was an experience - they gave us mallets to smash them open. The service was really fast and the gal was very friendly. Cantler's was right off the water and a bit off the beaten path but I'm so glad we took the drive! It was so worth it. read more

Ordered a dozen crabs 6 were bad ... the regular seafood was good but I came for the crabs

Hands down the best place for crabs in the Annapolis area! This place is everything you want it to be-- it's more of a lowkey bar/restaurant serving crabs and seafood and you can't go wrong with most things on the menu. Crabs are always the right size you order and are steamed fresh and have some of the best flavor. The crab dip comes out so flavorful and with 2 baguettes-- a crowd pleaser for sure. It's almost always crowded (rightfully slow) but service is still fast and servers are so attentive and you're never left waiting. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Blue crabs - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Always a good meal at Cantler's! Menu is a bit pricey but what a view and location...Jimmy Buffet playing on the patio. Tried the chopped salad with blackened Rockfish -tasty! Also ordered the crab dip. The place was slow on a sunny February day but last few visits it was packed! Great place for a drink or meal with friends or family. read more

Cantler's Riverside - View by the creek! - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

The food is overpriced. $180 for 1 doz crabs so got a $25 crab cake sandwich instead and it was half the size of a regular hamburger bun that it sat on. I'm still hungry! Also their orange crush wasn't good. Never again. read more

Waited for an hour and half and weren't informed ahead that they will not be serving steamed crabs at the moment. I ordered calamari instead and the slices are really small and quite hard and chewy. Before you go and dine, ask them first if there is a guarantee you will be able to eat what you suppose to be expecting because this is such a terrible experience. read more

Cantler's Riverside - Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Cantlers is my go to when in Maryland and searching for crabs! The menu is basic but exactly what it should be for a casual crab spot. I have never had a bad crab here and the crab dip is to die for as well! Service is always on point with friendly staff and the ambiance is absolutely perfect for a chill night with friends or family. This is by no means an elevated place but it does the job and does it well! read more

Cantler's Riverside - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

We visited early on a Saturday night. The wait for a table was tolerable and we were seated quickly. Parking was at a premium and we would recommend carpooling if you go as a group. The meal was delicious but we don't recommend the soft shell claims. Otherwise, the visit and waterfront views were excellent. A traditional Maryland crab house. read more

This place is vastly overrated. We were served scrawny hardshells that were passed off as Large @$130 / dozen . I have eaten a lot of crabs and these were medium at best. Some were missing claws. Total rip off. Nothing about the place is worth the drive from DC area. read more