This spot is pretty hectic. The oysters are very old and gross. They are not fresh!!! Immediately they had an old seafoody taste. I mean just look at them. We knew they weren't fresh when they got to our table by the look of them. We couldn't finish it. And the drinks are horrible!!! Very diluted. They also charge a 20% gratuity. Would not come back nor recommend this place at all. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This place is racist! The night was was going very well until me and friend was waiting for his shot. After about 20 mins we asked for again for the shot, the bartender then accused of lying saying she poured 3 shots.....which was a lie mainly because it was only 2 of us. We asked for a manager, in which she lied and said she was. We then asked her to role back the cameras, which was right next to us...she said no. A security officer was then asked to escort us out...the staff was not only impaired but racist. I don't recommend no person of color going here! read more

I just left this spot , i was enjoying myself. However towards the end i asked for a shot of Don Julio and the bar was crowded. About 20 mins later i ask for the shot again and the bartender stated that she had given me the shot in which i told her i saw you make 3 but i received none of the 3. I told her to role back the security cameras numerous times. She in turn got irate with us and then called security. I do believe that the servers here are doing hard drugs and they all seemed to be intoxicated. I know times are hard during covid so I won't judge but no i will not be returning to this establishment. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Came here last night for their Tuesday night specials. Great atmosphere, quick and friendly service. As for the food, the bf and I ordered: 1. Half a dozen oysters--I think they were called the Sweet Jesus ones? They were delicious--fresh and yummy! 2. Crab bisque with baguette strips. The extra $2 were totally worth it for the baguette strips as they were super crispy and went wonderfully with the bisque. The soup had awesome flavor, lots of crab, and just so hearty (which was perfect since it was raining and gloomy outside!) 3. $2.50 crab special: SAD. If it were not for the crabs, I would give a 5 star rating, but the crabs were SO disappointing. Perhaps I should have known that they would be small since they were on special, but still. They were quite small (~4 inches maybe?) and empty, and almost not worth the effort of picking out the meat. The inside of the shell was also a little dry, perhaps they had been sitting out for a while? Tl;dr: awesome oysters and crab bisque, pass on the Tuesday crab special (at least this time of year). read more

If you get nothing else, get the Seafood Chowder. Its top of the line. As for crabs, that's the reason to go. Long story short, excellent choice for crabs and seafood in Baltimore. Restaurant is around a portion of the Harbor. However, what most folks are on the hunt for is the famous Maryland Crabs. Riptide will not disappoint. SERVICE Our server was excellent. Attentive and knowledgeable and full of fun. FOOD We ordered four crabs. Excellent, once you get used to the idea that most of the food is in the crab and not the legs. Cracking them with a wood mallet is fun all by itself. We also ordered some clams and oysters. All excellent. But the best is the Seafood Chowder. Honestly, as good as I've ever had. The Crab bisque was similarly good. Both are worth the trip. AMBIANCE It's a bar on the first floor. But we sat outside on the sidewalk and that was a great experience. The bar was a bit loud at 5, but that was to be expected. Sitting outside would be my recommendation if the weather will accommodate it. Parking is hard to find, but is available. I can imagine though, later at night, it would be hard to find near the restaurant. VALUE The crabs are $7 a piece and you'll need 3-4 to get full. So you can easily spend a good bit of money here. But the taste is well worth it. Overall, if you are looking for Maryland crabs in Baltimore, you cannot go wrong yere. read more

See all

I was hoping for some excellent seafood but perhaps I didn't make the right choices. It was a mixed bag. I began my dinner with a bowl of seafood chowder. That was the best part of the meal and I would go back for that, maybe even more than once. In fact, if I had stopped there this would be a 4 or 5 star review. Next I went for the crab mac and cheese. It was good but I've had better. Also, I had a hard time identifying chunks of crab meat. I think it was all broken up very small. While the flavor was good, it wasn't as satisfying as I was hoping. After the mac and cheese didn't quite hit the spot I ordered house-made linguine with clams. This dish had potential but didn't quite come together. The noodles were just slightly overcooked. The clams were very nice and there were plenty of them. Unfortunately, there was an overabundance of red bell pepper and olives in the dish. Those didn't add anything to the flavor profile and, in my opinion, they lowered the quality of the dish significantly. I would not order that again. Other positive aspects of my visit were the servers and the evening manager. Both were quite friendly. I dined alone and I didn't receive any weird vibe about that. Sometimes wait staff can be a bit strange about a solitary diner and that can ruin a dinner. Didn't happened here so thank you for that. The manager spent a few minutes chatting with me and I got the impression he would be the kind of guy to remember repeat customers and make it a point to be appreciative. Will I go back? Maybe. If my next visit is significantly better I'll alter this review. I did struggle with deciding on either 3 or 4 stars for this review. I ended up going with the lower score because the restaurant is seafood, it's on the water, and this is Baltimore. Given those parameters, the food really should be more consistent and more satisfying. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood chowder was good! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

If Riptide by the Bay was a person, it would be a 40-something man drunk on Bud Light with a Jimmy Buffett t-shirt on. Someone who is completely content with who he is, but he's not going to win any "high-end" fans anytime soon. Riptide is good. It's a by-the-books decent fish place. Their Mahi Mahi Tacos were pretty good. Ditto for their fish and chips and their mimosas. I suggest going here if (1) you want to have some damn good fish-qua-fish or (2) you want something approximating Maryland comfort food. This is not the place to go for something you don't expect - it's the kind of place you go when you want exactly what you're expecting. read more

Wouldn't recommend terrible food with terrible service. Ordered a crab cake sandwich that never came.

I got a breakfast platter with an omelette that had arugula, which really is too bitter for an omelette. It was still pretty good. What wasn't good was my girlfriend's pizza. At first bite it tasted like bad blue cheese/vomit. It actually made her sick. This place is a seafood restaurant primarily but it seems like their non seafood is average to subpar. Since I don't eat seafood, I most likely won't eat here again. However, I can see myself going here for a late night drink. read more

This is a nice seafood place, more for cooked than raw. I was here for my birthday last week and had a great meal. First of all, it's not a fancy venue in terms of decor, however many people dresses up. The cocktails were amazing and they have a few seasonal options as well. As per the fellow yelpers recommendation, I ordered the calamari for starter. It was very very good! For entrees, I tried the salmon and my bf tried the sea bass, both were amazing and the sides were substantial and very complimentary. Their regular menu is pricey but they have specials almost everyday. For example, Wednesday's are burger nights. I would definitely come back and the seafood pots for 2-4 people are on my list to try. read more

See all

Walked in, couldn't even be seated. Clueless hostesses asked the bartender if she should take our names for a wait and no one seemed to know the answer. She said come back in 30 and maybe we'll seat you. read more

Haiku I love the crabs here! They are flavored with old bay and are steamed beautifully. Tuesday are special: They offer two dollar ($2) crabs and three dollar ($3) beer! Cheap yet yummy date-- your partner will like this place esp if out of town! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We'd waited a while to be served despite there only being a few tables occupied. The waitress didn't feel the need to share with us that they were out of ingredients until our dishes came out. Hard to enjoy a burger and fries or fish and chips when they only had potato chips. While the burger was good, I'm still hungry :-(. The waitress assumed we'd be okay with stale chips when I would've chosen the vegetable alternative. The added 20% gratuity charge added insult to injury, I wouldn't have tipped that much and I definitely won't be back. read more

We went as a large group and they were awesome! Our server was always there and offered us rookie Maryland Crab eaters lessons! Speaking of the crabs they were delicious along with the mac n cheese, oysters, flat breads and of course the cocktails! Riptide by the Bay is a must! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Crabs! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This was me & hubby first time at this restaurant. . The food was good but the swiftness of the staff was not great. You would think they were short staffed. It took the waiter to come back to us each time. My food was almost gone when my mixed drink came out. Oh & my hubby said when one of the wait staff bought the silverware out-he scratched off something on the knife. We didn't use that knife! We may not come back. Also-BRING CASH WITH YOU! They preauth your CC (DOUBLE THE AMOUNT YOU PAID)- I'm sure just to make sure you can pay the bill. I've NEVER had this done...EVER! And I've dined at more elegant restaurants than this one!!! read more

Fantastic, I had the crab cake sandwich and a beer, what a fantastic lunch, see photos. Really fun place, fantastic Bar Tender Mike, cool people inside, and perfect spring day for my Baltimore meeting. See my photos read more

See all

Horrible service. My food took a while and on top of that was missing the crab meat for my macaroni. Too over priced for the type of food and service. They add gratuity to your check , so it doesnt matter if you get a good service or not. Dont come here try other places read more

The service was subpar. Our waitress did not come to check on us, and we never got offered soda refills. We had to physically flag her down for extra napkins. The crab tots were not very good, which was disappointing. I ordered the burger and I do not recommend it. It was supposed to medium well, but it had this raw consistency. It wasn't bloody, but some of the meat looked like it was straight out of the package and old. It tasted way too salty, similar to the French fries. Additionally, the bill was rather pricey for only 3 meals, 2 sodas and 1 beer. It definitely wasn't worth the cost. read more

It's middling for seafood. Not bad. I've been here several times over the years and was never impressed but never overly disappointed either. It's a good place to meet and eat with friends where the food is not a centerpiece of the evening and someone wants seafood. However, the menu is pricy for the amount of food and the overall quality. The oysters are not always consistent in quality. The Po boy, and fish and chips are good but slightly dry at times. The crab Mac n cheese is delicious but now a bit expensive at $22 a plate. read more

Had a delightful lunch here. Everything that came to the table demonstrated the kitchen's proficiency; they know what they are doing back there. Taste combinations, basic grill work, French fries. All good. Really good. Service exceptionally friendly. Bathrooms are fine, not pristine. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Back dining room + hint of outside alley seating. - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Good food...poor service! This place has a lot of charm and great crab. Unfortunately it had really poor service. However, in all fairness it was the kitchens fault and not the servers. A shame because this place could have been fantastic! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Natty Boh and crabs - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

We were THIS (very very close) to leaving, at least I was, when they said they ran out of oysters on New Years day. We probably shouldn't have been surprised though as they were probably sold out the night before around 10PM Downstairs is mainly for the people who want to gets Apps only and or drink at the bar. There was quite a rowdy crowd down there even though it was only 11:30 in the morning..We sat upstairs, nice and quiet and bright because the sun shined right through the windows they had. Me and my gf got the crab dip to share to start and I absolutely loved it; it was thick/creamy and full of flavor! For my main course I got the seafood chowder which I was excited about because it was chilly out and I wanted something to warm me up. The portion was a pretty good size (I got a bowl) and it came out piping hot. It had potato, bacon, shrimp, clams and mussels from what I can remember. Everything was cooked well and it was very delicious. Also noticed Bae stole a few spoons more than usual from my dish too! hehe. Our other friends got some soups and crab cakes and they seemed to enjoy their food as well. Our other dining companion got a crab mac/cheese and the serving was huge! Service was good for me, although I think the waiter forgot an order for our friends though.. Prices are pretty average for a place right on the harbor. I really wished there were oysters though but that seafood chowder and crab dip definitely made up for it! S/N: I am not from around here so I have no idea where the best parking is but even we initially had trouble finding parking on New Years day when most people were still sleeping! read more

Naturally, I'm between 3 & 4 stars. Went here recently on a gorgeous September day because I wanted to sit outside. Didn't want anything too heavy, so ordered the flatbread with crab ($12). OMG yum (see picture). Delicious & just what I was looking for. Waiter was prompt & friendly, perfect actually. Got dessert, and didn't actually love it - got the Creme Brulee ($8). To be completely honest though - I don't know that I actually like creme brulee. I believe this is the first time I had it - & I'm really not that big of a fan. But I have nothing to compare it to - so therefore don't actually know if it's good or bad. Ha! Didn't even step foot indoors, so this review is solely for an outdoor experience! read more

Riptide By The Bay - MD Crab Flatbread! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Riptide was my second choice on Thames by the harbor, but such a good alternative. The bartender greeted me right as I sat at the bar not making me feel weird that I was by myself which was nice. I got the crab burger and I'll just say, sloppy. It really didn't have much taste which means it was simply crabmeat mashed with mayo or something non-descript without much spicing. The fries were alright butost were well done, and a bit burnt. What I did think was great was the seafood chowder soup. It was warm and had some heat, chock full of seafood - clams, lobster, muscles, etc. The look of the place was boring, traditional bar by a body of water motif. The clientele was a mix of tourists and townees, but generally 40+. If you need some food at a reasonable price, Riptide is ok. Location, right by the harbor - about 1-2 miles from the inner harbor. Would give it another try if and when I'm in the area again. read more

Riptide By The Bay - The Crab Sandwich with fries - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Oyster shooters all around! As a self-proclaimed oyster-holic, I entered virgin territory with an oyster shooter to start off my meal. And it was everything I wanted it to be and more, I could have woofed down quite a few more, but I refrained. If you're feeling crabby (pardon my pun) Riptide is your place, especially on Tuesdays where you enter $2 crab world. Oh yeah, that's right $2 whole steamed crabs. Sign me up! But if you are not lucky enough to land on a Tuesday, their other daily specials are pretty great too. My last trip there was on Friday and they had $5 mac and cheese, discounts on select beers and other various deals. But as you can probably guess, I went expecting to get some crabs (yeahhh, it's Monday morning, excuse m over-caffeinated attempt at humor). I went with two other friends, and as much as I wanted to get one of the crazy pricey steamed platters (options starting at about $100 going up to $200) I decided my bank account would get a bit passive aggressive with me if tried it... so I went with the crab cake sandwich and it was great! Good amounts of crab, with a solid tartar sauce for it. And if you think one crab was enough, think again. So before diving into the sandwich, my group shared the crab dip, which was damn incredible, and I had a cream of crab soup. Now we are talking some serious crabs. Washing each course down with an ice-cold Longhammer, I was in pure heaven the whole trip. But, right when I thought it was over, and I would have to be rolled out the door... I was told about the dessert special. And noting all of the food I stuffed myself with previously, you can definitely guess that it would take some pretty incredible dessert to lure me in. And they did it. Pancake battered, deep fried chocolate mousse. And as a fried-food-fanatic, I obviously had to take the leap, and not look back.... and HOLY CRAP, this was the best dessert I have had in a long time. Delicious sweet, crispy batter, with a creamy, warm filling. wow. My advice to you, go all in. Get your crabs, grab your drink and finish it all off (even if you are having reservations and think you can't) with an incredible dessert. Just do it. read more

See all

I had some family visiting Maryland for the first time, so I wanted to make sure they had a great experience with some blue crabs. We went on a Sunday night around 7:30 p.m.. Place was busy, but we only waited about 10 minutes. Server was very knowledgeable and friendly. We ordered the crab dip and calamari as appetizers. Dip was creamy and very flavorful, but I thought the portion was a little small for the price. Calamari was seasoned well and I loved the breading. We ordered a dozen and a half of large blue crabs ($60/dozen) for 7 people. And it was more than enough!! Crabs came out hot and steamy with just the right amount of old bay seasoning. Not too much where it's caked on, but definitely very flavorful. They just pile the crab on the table with some wooden spoons and a bucket for the shells, and you just have at it! Definitely a great experience! I highly recommend Riptide. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Large blue crabs - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

Came here for lunch on a drizzly Friday. Cool spot with a nice little patio area right across the street from the police station from the show Homicide. A lot of the crab houses in Baltimore don't start serving until 4, but this place had a selection running from small to large and was open and serving at 11:30. Ordered a couple brews, fries, some corn on the cob and a dozen mediums. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. This was my first time doing crab in Baltimore, I thought it was great, but my local friend said they were not the best crabs she had ever had but were above average. Sides were good, had to ask for butter but it was brought promptly, and there was a copious amount of old bay seasoning covering all the crustaceans. Highs: crabs, sides, service Lows: it started raining halfway through lunch...why can't they control the weather! Overall: Good food, great service, cool spot near some historic bars... what's not to like? read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Food: 4 Decor: 4 Ambiance: 4 Service: 4 Value: 3.5 Sooo much food for the money. I have never been so stuffed from a seafood feast. Everything we tried here was really good. This restaurant is a good use of a prime location in Fells Point, particularly when the line to the Oyster House was too long to bear. read more

Crab in the Crab Cake was not fresh and had a bitter taste. Lucky I didn't get sick. Service was unbearably slow.

Celebrated a birthday dinner here with a couple of friends upon chance because Thames Oyster was going to be a 1 hour wait. Based on quality of food, I wouldn't say this place was too bad, but we did order two of the same entrees, and only one came back to us. The owner stopped by our table in a timely manner to apologize and mention that there was some confusion which can be understandable. The attentiveness, personable service and quick resolvement skills represented excellent customer service of the establishment. We were still able to enjoy our food and was given a generous discount for the bill. Thank you! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

Do not go here, especially for restaurant week. They required reservations (barely had anyone in there) and made us wait 15-20minutes before taking our order.....oh wait they never came to take our order. We gave another 5-10min and then decided to leave. Only to see the waitress outside smoking a cigarette. Yep. read more

Had a great experience there! The service was a little slow, but we did order three dozen crabs, so I don't blame them. The seasoning was delicious and my family had a great time. The ambience and location is great. We went around brunch time on a Sunday so everyone was out enjoying the nice weather and I was enjoying a mimosa. We had a really tall guy as our server, he was really nice, but seemed shy. I will def go stop by again if I'm ever in the area again. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Beer, mimosas and 3 dozen crabs - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Lovely spot in fells. Popped in on a whim for some seafood soup and it did not disappoint. The Maryland chowder and lime cilantro salad are light, fresh and well proportioned. The restaurant offers a wide array of platters and is ideal for seafood lovers. The atmosphere is casual and offers outdoor seating. I wish the soup had a bit more fresh crab, but it was very good. Service was also very good. Would dine here again. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Lime cilantro salad - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

Let me tell y'all how BOMB everyone was. My sister and I was looking for crabs and something different. We came across the spot on google. Definitely didn't know exactly where it was. We had my baby nephew with us and didn't know what type of crowd it held. Security and Mgr was like wait is that a baby ? LOL. They didn't quite turn us around BUT we was able to feel welcome. We found a seat inside the restaurant in the cut. Two sister waitresses, was on point. Mgr was on point. The security guards checked on us. Everyone worked as a team. Let's talk about the foooooddd. The crabs , the crab dip , the steamed shrimp. The service LOL the drinks. Bomb. We will definitely be back. I never felt happy about service as much as I did It. read more

Fun place, nice vibe with good food! We ordered firecracker shrimp and snow crab legs. Food came out quickly, cool spot!

Dropped in for dinner while checking out the KC vs BAL MNF game. I've probably passed this place a 1,000 times and not stopped for a bite to eat; however that changes tonight. The food is absolutely delicious. We had the garlic shrimp linguine, cream of crab soup and blackened chicken sandwich; everything was delicious! Oh yeah, the service was excellent as well. Give it a try you won't be disappointed! read more

I'll start by saying the service was fantastic. The food was also very good. We started with the crab dip whip was creamy and spicy! Husband had the crab cakes which were great! I ordered shrimp carbonara which was good, but not amazing. Prices were reasonable too. read more

See all

I am writing this review because not only does this place have good food/drinks but they were super nice and accommodating to our dog. No one ever mentions pets! We called ahead to make sure we could get outside seating and when we showed up it was easy breezy. Nice side walk cafe seating and around alley and seating on multiple floors inside. Super nice to our dog, and there were other dogs many nice conversations with patrons and passer by traffic. Very laid back-perfect! Food-we ordered crab dip-very good and hit with our party as we reviewed options. Landed on crab boil, Alaskan crab, Maryland crab cakes and a fish & chips--everyone was in mood for seafood but we couldn't decide. All great choices! Drinks were good and samples of beers offered to help decide--great night all around! Very good service, beautiful weather and relaxed un-rushed pace. I think there was live entertainment inside but we were happily absorbed in our own world outside...Thank you for great food and experience! read more

This is not a touristy place, it's heavily favored by the locals, especially before or after the Orioles game:) If you are looking for a quaint spot by the pier - you are in the wrong place. Space is tight, crowds at the bar can get rowdy but...this is by far the best place for Maryland crab cakes. Hands down. Their crab cakes are savory, very filling, and "sinfully delicious" to say the least. If they weren't so huge, I would've ordered another one:) Also, for those of you who complain "oh, they are too slow." They actually not. I am a rather impatient customer but I have to say, on a very busy night like last night, they performed very well. Water came on time, so did our drinks. read more

Great location. Eat on the street with the homeless. Crab cakes are filled with bread. The soft shell crabs are salty and haven't molted. Can you imagine being in Baltimore for Maryland crab cakes and not being able to finish your meal! Avoid this place. Take care of your people, Baltimore! read more