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    The River Shack

    4.2 (126 reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    The River Shack Photos

    THE RIVER SHACK ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The River Shack

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    Donna B.

    This place is hit or miss with service. Sometimes they are in a kitchen wait?? But when you're able to get a seat the food is decent. I prefer the outdoor seating which is in sand under a tent. It's a more laid back place compared to the Wellwood. They even have a to go section, but that sometimes is shut down when the kitchen gets too busy??

    Oysters Rockefeller
    Serafina C.

    Loved Loved Loved. Such a cute atmosphere, great live music, amazing food (I had ALL the mussels). The place has a sand floor and sand toys. Wonderful for kids but plan ahead and dress them accordingly. I can't wait to come back.

    Crabs
    Destiny E.

    We randomly came here on a search for crabs and near-water vibes. While you can't see the water from the restaurant, you're right next to it and able to order and walk if you want. We originally came for AYCE crabs, which the sister restaurant Wellwood says they have BUT as soon as we walked up, we saw a "No AYCE" sign. Very frustrating (y'all have to fix that Wellwood site) but we had driven 2 hours (me from PG County, my bestie from Philly) so we took a chance. Glad we did. Breakdown below: Tuna nachos: YO! These nachos had no business being that damn good. They were fire. Tuna was madd fresh, wonton chips were fried perfectly in clean oil and the seaweed salad was a niceeeeee touch. We didn't even see/use the soy glaze that came with it. Fire! Been thinking of these since. Crabs: While we were given mostly females and had to deal with organs, we paid like $55-60 for six large crabs, I think. Sort of evens out with AYCE since those crabs tend to be small but still. Crabs were good AF, though! Wings: The wings were bombbb AF. They were more battered than we expected but good. The garlic Parmesan fries: Son, these fries are no joke. They were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Waffle fries with flair. They were so good that I threw them in the air fryer the next day. Ranch Dressing: DAWG! This might be the best ranch I've ever had and if not, close second. I would come back just for the homemade ranch. Caesar salad: you can skip this. There was nothing special about it. Tasted like a grocery store bagged mix but it wasn't bad, just basic. Drinks: Watermelon crusher had like half a watermelon in it. If that's your thing, cool. I was hoping for more artificial flavoring. lol Service: Our server was young and a bit forgetful but he got the job done and really showed out at the end. Everyone we interacted with here, staff-wise, was super sweet. We'll be back soon.

    a plate of steamed crabs
    Jamal L.

    Went to the River Shack on Mother's Day, expecting to celebrate my amazing wife and family with all you can eat crabs. Unfortunately, due to delivery issues, AYCE wasn't available. So we decided to replicate it, by ordering a few dozen crabs, a fried chicken basket, hush puppies, corn bread & our waitress threw in AYCE corn on the cob! Awesome meal! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, drinks were ice cold and well prepared! We'll be regulars all spring/summer!

    Medium male crabs

    The oyster rockerfeller was huge and disgusting in taste - waste of money. My kids ordered Mac & cheese, one crab and the walking taco which they all were disappointed. The walking taco wasn't anything but nachos. I had the steamed medium male crabs which were good.

    Andrew S.

    First visit the the River Shack this past weekend for crabs and crab cakes. Started with the waffle crab fries which were excellent. So different from the typical crab fries with a nicely topper cheese melt. Crabs (larges) were all heavy, dirty (a good thing) and loaded with meat. Not a single papershell in the bunch. Crab cakes were equally impressive with minimal filler and loads of jumbo lump. Our server was most pleasant and took good care of us on a hot day. The Shack beats the other places in Cecil County and we've tried them all. Looking forward to another visit next month.

    Charlene R.

    Headed to Great wolf today so we stopped here for some crabs. This is such a beach vibe, on the water but you don't have water views. However the charming beach decor and sand under your feet makes this a fun place to eat and chill. Crabs were hot and meaty but they def don't use typical DMV seasoning and we do prefer rock salt old bay mix. Drinks were decent on the sweeter side and service was good. Enjoyed the burgers fries and hush puppies as well. Reasonably priced .

    Crab cake sandwich
    Tim C.

    When I first picked up the crab cake sandwich I was a bit underwhelmed. How wrong was I?! It looked kind of small but it was packed solid with crab (no breadcrumb padding it out), well seasoned and truly delicious. Definitely recommended. Nice to be so close to the Chesapeake too.

    Pepperoni bacon pizza

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    9 years ago

    Love the food. Crab was great and help is willing to help with first timers to blue crab. Service was great.

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    7 years ago

    This is a great little place to unwind and grab a drink and snack. They have a great drink selection and the food was awesome!

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    7 years ago

    NOT REAL BUTTER, though waitress and manager told me it was. Its a oil mix. I trusted them, and got very sick.

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    13 years ago

    The best crab house I ever went! It has beach-like outside seat and band at night. It is located by the coast too, very nice to visit.

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    Ask the Community - The River Shack

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    The Wellwood - My favorite  crab  cake in MD

    The Wellwood

    4.0(279 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    •$$

    Absolutely delicious! My fiancé made a trip from Philly. The fried chicken was really tasty;…read morewouldn't think to get that at a seafood place but it was a good choice. Also they make their own dressings and the honey mustard and ranch were a must try The medium crabs were 35$ for a half dozen which was a deal. It's typically 45$ for the medium. They were so meaty and cooked perfectly. No need to fight to get the meat out and that's when you know it's cooked right I also did get the Maryland crab soup, honestly I would skip that. It was disappointing but no big deal. The drinks were really strong and so reasonably priced. Since we had to drive, we only had one each Crab dip was also a very good app but the entrees were the star of the show Service was really quick and our server was so friendly !

    We went on the recommendation of my sister. We were seated outside and immediately given a table…read morefan to help with the flies (didn't help but a thoughtful gesture) - service was spectacular. Not rushed, given the specials as well as recommended dishes. We ordered the crab dip, the fried tomatoes with crab, fried cheese bites, hush puppies and fried chicken. All the food came out quickly and was fresh. The hush puppies were delicious - fried hard on the outside, soft in the middle - huge portion. Need to ask for more butter because one cup isn't enough for the amount of hush puppies you get. Fried tomatoes were delicious, my husband finished the whole plate. Fried chicken was really good - they are known for their chicken. It was properly seasoned and crispy. Will definitely be back to try additional dishes. Margaritas were perfect.

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    The Wellwood - Cake and Aioli !

    Cake and Aioli !

    The Wellwood

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    Nauti Goose - Linguini & house made meatballs

    Nauti Goose

    2.5(168 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    •$$

    We had Blackened Mahi Mahi, Boom Boom Shrimp and Crab Quesadia. It was great. As good as any other…read moreseafood establishment in Northeast or Chesapeake City. As pricey as all the other local restaurants too. Our server was wonderful. A very pleasant personality, bright and cheerful. Checked on us often. I had not been there in few years and After reading the awful reviews on Yelp I almost decided to eat elsewhere but then decided to stick with the original plan. So glad I stuck with the Goose. Some people just complain no matter how good their food and service is. They are just built that way. unpleasable! I highly recommend The Naughty Goose. I dont know if all the food is spectacular, but ours sure was. I wish I had got the servers name to give her a shout out because she deserved it. Enlightened me as to deciding where to eat based on Yelp reviews.

    When we ended up in North East, Maryland, late on a Sunday evening, I wasn't exactly thrilled. Then…read morewe walked around the corner to The Nauti Goose, saw the outdoor deck, the sun going down, the big boats coming in, and suddenly... my frown got turned upside down. We were in Maryland, so I wanted crab. Unfortunately, being Sunday evening, they were out of most of the crab dishes that sounded really good. So, crab quesadilla it was. It came with a really good dipping sauce and was... goodish. There was definitely a LOT of cheese, and I would have liked to see more crab. But the food wasn't really the whole point of this visit. We sat on the deck, drank some beer, listened to music, watched the boats, and made some new friends. And sometimes, that's a pretty damn good Sunday night.

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    Nauti Goose - Banquet Room for rent!

    Banquet Room for rent!

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    Nauti Goose - Docks view from Banquet Room

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    Docks view from Banquet Room

    The Crab Trailer

    The Crab Trailer

    5.0(5 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    The food and service were great! My wife and I both ordered a box, which included 3 blue crabs, 1/2…read morelb of peel & eat shrimp and an ear of sweet corn for $25. They allowed us to upgrade from the standard medium crabs to no. 1's for only $5 more. The only problem was, we had nowhere to eat. The server suggested a park on the water about 2 miles away. It was nice with pavilions and picnic tables. Would have been better if it wasn't so windy and cool, but we survived. It would be nice if the trailer added a few tables and maybe a portable toilet.

    I made my first trip to the Crab Trailer today. My wife and I were originally Marylanders who…read moremoved to PA. So, it's not easy to please us with steamed crabs and crab cakes. So now I can take a 25 minute ride and feast safely. My wife died last year after a long illness and it's been 3 years since I cracked crabs. Eating crabs is a social event and we always had them for a crowd. However, I'm on my own now and seldom have company for dinner, but today I said heck with friends. I want some crabs. These folks sell a Bay Box consisting of 3 perfectly seasoned crabs, about a half pound or more of shrimp, and a tasty ear of roasted local corn on a cob. $20! Perfect for my appetite and wallet. I'm thinking I could do this at least once a week. I can't tell you how wonderful these folks are. Great food AND service so I am going to get names to share with you tomorrow. I think it's really important to recognize people who make our lives better and share their kindness so freely. It's a cute little, colorful building with a big front covered porch and shaded outdoor tables for eating. Comfy. My new go-to crab house for singles or a crowd.

    The River Shack - seafood - Updated September 2026

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