Looking for the best seafood in Annapolis, Maryland? You’re in the right place. Annapolis sits on the Chesapeake Bay, so steamed Maryland blue crabs, oysters, crab cakes, rockfish and waterfront seafood aren’t just tourist attractions. They’re part of the culture here.
If you’re trying to decide where to eat, start with what experience you want. For steamed crabs, head outside downtown to places like Cantler’s Riverside Inn or Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House. For oysters and a downtown experience, try McGarvey’s or O’Brien’s. For waterfront dining, Carrol’s Creek Cafe and Chart House are longtime options. And if a Maryland crab cake is the mission, there are several places worth comparing.
Here’s our local guide to eating seafood in and around Annapolis.
Where are the best places to get steamed crabs near Annapolis?
This deserves to come first.
When somebody says they want to “get crabs” in Maryland, they’re usually not picturing a plated fine-dining entrée.
They’re picturing a table covered in brown paper, a pile of hot steamed blue crabs covered in seasoning, cold drinks, mallets and a couple of hours with friends or family.
A few Annapolis-area spots to know:
Restaurant | Area | Go Here For | Experience |
Cantler’s Riverside Inn | Annapolis | Steamed Maryland blue crabs | Classic crab-house experience on the water |
Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House | Riva | Steamed crabs & seafood | Casual waterfront crab house |
The Point Crab House & Grill | Arnold | Seafood & waterfront dining | Local neighborhood/waterfront atmosphere |
Buddy’s Crabs & Ribs | Downtown Annapolis | Crabs & seafood | Convenient if you’re already downtown |
Is Cantler’s worth visiting?
Cantler’s Riverside Inn is one of the names most associated with the Annapolis crab experience.
Part of the appeal is the setting. It’s tucked along Mill Creek rather than sitting in the middle of Downtown Annapolis. You go there specifically to eat crabs and seafood by the water.
If someone were visiting Maryland for the first time and told us, “I want the Maryland crab experience,” this is one of the first places we’d tell them to consider.
Where can you get good oysters in Annapolis?
Oysters deserve their own category because the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster history runs deep.
If you’re staying downtown, you have several options within walking distance of City Dock and Main Street.
McGarvey’s Saloon & Oyster Bar is a longtime Annapolis institution right near City Dock.
Another option is O’Brien’s Oyster Bar & Seafood Tavern, where you can pair seafood with the experience of being right on Main Street.
When oysters are your priority, ask what’s available that day rather than ordering solely by restaurant reputation. Oyster varieties, harvest locations and availability can change.
Where are the best crab cakes in Annapolis?
Now we get into an argument Marylanders take seriously.
There isn’t one universally agreed-upon “best” crab cake.
And that’s part of the fun.
A good Maryland-style crab cake should let the crab meat be the star rather than burying it under filler.
Places around Annapolis worth putting on your crab-cake search include:
- Boatyard Bar & Grill
- Carrol’s Creek Cafe
- O’Brien’s
- McGarvey’s
- Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House
- Cantler’s
My recommendation?
Try more than one.
If you’re spending a weekend in Annapolis, don’t order the exact same meal everywhere. Get oysters at one stop, a crab cake somewhere else, and save the steamed-crab experience for when you have time to sit down and enjoy it.
What are the best waterfront seafood restaurants in Annapolis?
This is where Annapolis has an advantage over a lot of places.
The meal can be good, but where you’re eating it matters too.
Carrol’s Creek Cafe
Carrol’s Creek Cafe sits in Eastport overlooking Spa Creek.
It’s a great example of an Annapolis dinner where the view is part of the experience.
Walk around Eastport beforehand, have dinner overlooking the water and then walk toward downtown afterward.
Chart House
Chart House is another Eastport waterfront option with views toward Annapolis.
The Point
Head farther up the Broadneck Peninsula and you’ll find The Point Crab House & Grill.
This is exactly why our local guides don’t stop at the Annapolis city limits.
If you’re staying in Arnold, Cape St. Claire or the Broadneck area, you don’t necessarily need to drive downtown to have a great waterfront seafood meal.
Should I eat seafood in Downtown Annapolis or outside downtown?
It depends on the experience you’re after.
Choose Downtown Annapolis if you want:
- Walkability
- City Dock
- Main Street
- Bars and restaurants close together
- Shopping before or after dinner
- A night where you can park once and explore
Venture outside downtown if you want:
- A traditional crab-house experience
- A quieter waterfront setting
- More of the Chesapeake Bay lifestyle
- Places that feel less centered around visitors
This is one of the biggest mistakes we see visitors make.
They search “best seafood Annapolis” and assume everything worth trying must be around City Dock.
It isn’t.
Some of the area’s most authentic Chesapeake experiences require getting in the car.
When is Maryland blue crab season?
Blue crabs and Maryland go hand in hand, but crab availability changes throughout the year.
Maryland’s commercial blue-crab season generally runs from April through December, although regulations, availability and sourcing vary.
Late summer into early fall can be an especially enjoyable time for a crab feast. The weather is still warm enough to sit near the water, and eating crabs outside is about as Maryland as it gets.
One important distinction: “Maryland-style crabs” and “Maryland blue crabs” aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Restaurants can source crabs from outside Maryland depending on season and availability. If having locally harvested Maryland crab is important to you, ask the restaurant where its crabs came from that day.
How do you eat a Maryland blue crab?
If you’re visiting from somewhere else, don’t be intimidated when an entire steamed crab lands in front of you.
The basic process is:
- Pull off the claws and legs.
- Turn the crab over and open the apron.
- Remove the top shell.
- Clean away the gills and unwanted internal material.
- Break the body into sections.
- Carefully pick out the meat.
- Crack the claws when you’re ready for them.
- Accept that you’re going to make a mess.
And don’t rush.
A Maryland crab feast isn’t supposed to be fast food.
The time around the table is part of the experience.
What seafood is Maryland known for besides crabs?
Blue crabs get most of the attention, but Chesapeake seafood goes much further.
Look for:
Seafood | What to Know |
Blue Crab | Maryland’s icon; steamed whole or used in crab cakes |
Chesapeake Oysters | Raw, roasted, fried or incorporated into dishes |
Rockfish | Maryland’s name for striped bass |
Soft-Shell Crab | Blue crab eaten shortly after molting |
Crab Soup | Usually Maryland crab soup or cream of crab |
Crab Dip | A Maryland restaurant and party staple |
If you see Maryland crab soup and cream of crab on the same menu, know that they’re very different.
Maryland crab soup is typically tomato-based with vegetables and crab.
Cream of crab is exactly what it sounds like: rich, creamy and much heavier.
And yes, combining them is a thing. Ask for a half-and-half.
What should first-time visitors order in Annapolis?
If you’ve never experienced Chesapeake seafood, here’s the itinerary I’d give you:
Start: Raw or roasted oysters.
Next: Maryland crab soup or cream of crab.
Main meal: A Maryland crab cake or local rockfish.
Then dedicate a separate meal: Steamed blue crabs.
Don’t make your first crab feast something you squeeze into 45 minutes before another reservation.
Give yourself time.
Why is seafood such a big part of living in Annapolis?
This is where a restaurant guide becomes something bigger.
Living in Annapolis isn’t just about owning a house near the Chesapeake Bay.
The Bay shapes the lifestyle.
It’s boating after work. It’s driving to a crab house with family. It’s meeting friends in Eastport. It’s oysters downtown. It’s sitting outside beside the water when September finally cools down.
Those experiences are part of why people fall in love with Annapolis and the surrounding communities.
That’s also why our Newgen Team local guides go beyond real estate.
What else should you do while visiting Annapolis?
If you’re planning an entire Annapolis weekend rather than just dinner, we’ve already created a few resources that can help.
Read our Annapolis Fall Guide 2026: Events, Date Ideas, Pumpkin Patches & Things to Do if you’re visiting this fall.
And if spending time here has you wondering what it would actually be like to call Annapolis home, read Moving to Annapolis, Maryland? 10 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Home in 2026.
Those articles connect the restaurants and events to the bigger picture of actually living here.
Who can help if I want to move to Annapolis?
I’m Kevin Brown, Team Leader of The Newgen Team, and Annapolis and Anne Arundel County are home for us.
We want these guides to be useful whether you ever buy a house from us or not.
But if eating crabs on the Chesapeake, spending weekends on the water and living around Annapolis starts making you think, “I could actually live here,” that’s where we can help.
We help people buy and sell throughout Annapolis, Arnold, Cape St. Claire, Edgewater and communities across Anne Arundel County.
The Newgen Team
Real People Helping You Through Real Life Moments.
