Bay Crawlers Crab Shack

This place has really thrived under new ownership. They e expanded their menu and outside seating area, added an outdoor bar and enclosed the entire eating area under a tent to ward off the sun and rain. We ordered crabs for pick up over Memorial Day weekend and they were amazing! We came back for Father's Day to enjoy a lunch. The staff were friendly and checked up on us (a party of 7) multiple times. A great place to eat and hang out!

Heading down the highway ... you can't miss the CRAB SHACK and if you are smart and if you are hungry then you will be making the turn into this wide open stone parking lot!We arrived just as they were opening and the first question asked was "take out or eat in?" I just had to laugh because to eat in meant eating outside under a tarp roof on paper covered picnic tables. And, yes if you are going to enjoy a Maryland crab shack you don't do take out ... you eat in!!The young man waiting on us was scrambling because his co-worker was running late but he provided us with the service we wanted including his recommendation to go for the fried ... if we wanted the best!The three of us were really enjoying out lunches until we saw the platters carried out to nearby tables. OH MY the crab and shrimp made our mouths water ... we wanted more but really weren't hungry but each piece of seafood looked perfect.Definitely will make a return visit when the season opens ... it's only a 2 hour drive ... worth the drive but next time I will be really hungry!!!

Anybody who is a fan of Maryland blue crabs... this place a must go. I'd say travel for it to try because the quality and quantity of the crab and food that they serve here is just tops. They have both Al la carte options and AYCE crabs. Love the outdoor benches where you can sit and make a mess at the table as they have it covered with the brown paper; I love how you don't have to worry about messing things up. The service is fast and friendly. The ACYE option comes with crabs, hush puppies, and corn. They'll come around to ask if you need another batch every time it looks like you're running out of crabs. The hush puppies will fill you but gosh... they're the equivalent to cheesy bread; just can't stop eating them. This place is a must!!!

We first ordered two dozen female crabs to go which were plenty for 17 people. Smooth pick up right in front.When we dined in we called in advance to reserve seating for 17 of us. Luckily we got there and were the second people to arrive. It is outdoor seating under tents and has beach vibes because of the sand on the ground. There is more parking in the back just FYI!Our server was sweet, she took our orders like a champ especially with multiple conversations going on and kids playing in the sand. To drink I ordered the grapefruit crush- delicious! Definitely a must try and very refreshing.We started off with hush puppies. They were very flavorful. I ordered the fish and chips, my husband got the crab melt. The kids got Mac and cheese bites and popcorn shrimp. The food was plenty!

No fuss, just great food! The dining area is an array of picnic tables in a sand pit, so all of the attention is on their crabs, as it should be.Came here for a late lunch after hiking in the area; we were worried about them running out of crabs, but we called ahead of time and were assured they still have availability, so I'd recommend doing that the day you're planning on going to verify.The food was delicious--the outside of the crabs are coated in seasonings, but the meat inside is delicate and sweet. It's extra tasty with some melted butter, but really nothing else is needed. I'd highly recommend the lemonade as well, it's freshly made and oh so refreshing. Overall, it's a great place to get some Maryland crab, but also have a great time with family and friends cracking away at the shells.

We were there Sunday and tried to call in with our disappointment. Our crabs ordered were for XL males and they are medium/ small larges at best. I was able to put six of them in the bottom layer of my pot to heat up. Two of them easily fit on the paper plate. I am usually very happy with the crabs I get from you all. This time, not so much. I did try to call in with my disappointments, while the lines were busy then when I got someone, I was told to call back. Stella

Soooooo yummy! Omg def get the all you can eat crabs! Def a fun and delicious experience. I also really loved the crab legs and the soft crab sandwich! Oh, and def get a fresh squeezed lemonade! All of it was soooooo gooooood. I ate everything I ordered haha!

I waited a few weeks to write this review after our most recent, and last, visit. I'll start with the good. Our server was on point and took care of everything timely and politely. Now the not so good. First off they were out of Natty Boh. Next, I ordered six jumbos which were light and definitely not jumbos per their own sizing criteria. Several paper shells but they still had some meat. They definitely did not taste as fresh and sweet as previous visits. Almost like they resteamed them. Trust me, I know fresh having crabbed and steamed quite a bit over the years. My wife's crab cake had a lot more filler in it than in the past. On top of everything above, the bill I signed processed through my bank with and added $5. I contacted Bay Crawlers about it and still haven't heard from them. We have since found a far superior crab place in Cecil County that served is extremely fresh larges right from the boat and excellent crab cakes recently. No more Bay Crawlers for us.

HORRIBLE FOOD (August 4 2024)RUINED the PartyBAD CRAB NEWS - Bay Crawlers in North East Maryland are selling ReHeats at full price. ($200 - 1/2 bushel). REHEATS are crabs from days prior that were never sold also known as leftover crabs that were supposed to be disposed of....thrown away in a dumpster. Some crab shacks sell reheats the following day for $1 per crab. Bay crawler charges full price tho. The crabs were all under 6 inches and had no meat in them and tasted spoiled. Picking a crab up with your fingers would actually crush the shell even if you grab the knuckle of the claw. This part usually takes multiple packs with a wooden hammer or the back of a butter knife. These just crumbled without even squeezing them. I guess they tried to cover this up by dumping mounds of salty old bay all over them. Corn was of same quality. Only one person at the party ate 2 crabs. Everyone else only ate 1 or less.I was so embarrassed. Mad that I left a $20 tip. My aunt actually called to Bay Crawlers to speak to some one. She was hung up on halfway thru her second sentence. Disrespectful. I heard good things about Bay Crawlers a year or 2 ago. Looks like their business is headed to the same place as the rest of these crabs I still have today.....to the dump. Next time I'll just get fast food. I've included a couple pics. I'll take a Pic of the crabs I'm about to throw out(in the box they came in)...notice how many are missing.

The crab cakes, rockfish bites, and cocktails were amazing. Excellent and attentive service. So lucky we stumbled upon this spot while we had a little getaway on the waterfront in North East, MD. Thank you!!!