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When I travel with coworkers, I get really bossy and tell them where we should eat in the area because I like to eat well. I want to put my per diem to good use and return to the hotel knowing I had done my best to make my stomach happy. Anything less would be unthinkable. So on this trip, I needed a great crab place and found Obrycki's came highly recommended. I was surprised by the seedy neighborhood. Had I read more than just the first page of reviews on Yelp, I probably would have known this. But really, did the neighborhood factor in in the end? Nope.
My coworkers were hankering for a night of violence and ordered a bunch of whole crabs to dismember. I don't like to work for my dinner, so I got a crab cake with baked potato and coleslaw. I looked in awe as my coworkers got busy whacking the crabs with their mallets. One coworker got overly ambitious and sent a piece flying to the next table, which wasn't that close to us. They both seemed really thrilled with this smashing business. And I work with these two on a daily basis. Who knew? I ate my crab cake in relative silence as they loudly proclaimed their lusty satisfaction with the crabs. The crab cake and slaw were also delicious.
This is the most raciest place I have ever been to, and they are proud of it!!!! This is my first time in Baltimore, and was told I must try the Crab! so I went on line and found Obrycki with good reviews and decided to go their with one of my friends.
Let me remind you, none of us are white white white, we have different eyes and what not!!!! with that said, we walked in and immediately the two hostesses (both female, one young one old both white white!) looked at us like what are you doing here! We said two, and we also said we like to make reservation for party of 10 (our friends) they were fast to say, oh no table will be available for an hour or so!! the two of us looked around its was early afternoon the restaurant had many many empty tables, but we didn't say anything. in the mean time two other women walked in behind us(both white!) so the hostess gets two menu and we walked behind her to the table, we get there, and she turned around and said:"No this is not for you!! this is for those two ladies!!" we were like OK, they came after us, but OK maybe their are friends or something! then she takes us to a table by the stairs which has no service on it and says:"this is your table!" we sat still thinking oh maybe we are over thinking this, she was old! the waiter comes, and we started asking questions, the waiter very rudely says:"Oh I know you 2 must be very excited to be here, but you need to calm down!!!!!!!!!!!!". what the F#$%!!! we wanted to leave, but we were told the food is great, so we ordered crab and one other dish. food came we still had nothing to hit it with or eat with, no waiter to even check on us. Then he Finlay came and he asks:" why don't you eat!!??" I wanted to give him the finger, still didn't. we pointed out we have nothing to eat with!! he is like oh i will bring it to you. he did after like 10 minutes. with no explanation. We looked around, and saw that all Waite staff even this AH showed their table how to open a crab and all. well we got none of that. he didn't get a tip alright!!!
But I am telling you, stay away from this place unless you have a white white person with you, and send them first!! or you will be treated like 20th century!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BTW the food wasn't good either, we got better food, by the water in the shopping mall!!!!!
Obrycki's was recommended by a friend for our road trip to DC/MD. I wanted MD crabs and Annapolis/Ocean City were just too out of the way to go to from NJ on a short day trip. The decor is not the standard crab house with the newspaper, paper and picnic tables. The restaurant resembles a pub or a tavern and is a classier joint compared to the average crab shack. [I've eaten my way of crabs through Annapolis/Ocean City]
We ordered the Onion Rings and Mozzarella sticks as an appetizer. They were both really good! 3 of our party ordered steamed crabs while the other ordered a shrimp entree. The shrimp entree looked like nothing special but our friend was happy with his meal. We ordered a dozen of steamed large crabs. They were really meaty and really sweet - very good! We also ordered the cole slaw as our side and that was really good too.
And their alcoholic drinks are strong. That's always a plus. :)
Went there last Saturday night for my bday dinner. Highly recommended by many. I was excited because this is a Baltimorean classic.
I ended up slightly disapponted. All ten in the party opted to get regular entrees, no crab smashing. I got the crab imperial with lump and blue crab meat. Others got the soft shell crab dinner and crab cakes. All were very meaty, not a lot of filler. Portions were good but the dry potato, crappy french fries and vegetables were lacking. Shouldve gotten the hack em open crabs! I would've liked to have worn the giant bib.
One star definitely needed to be taken away for the terrible service. Our waitress actually pulled a "hellooo??" and then proceeded to tell us we needed to speak up cause "I can't hear y'all." And then vented to us (with attitude) that she had SIX whole tables. Whoa. Six. We wouldve ordered more if you weren't so damn miserable in life. All her backup servers that came to help and bail her out were actually nice and funny and we were wishing that one of them would step in for her.
I don't think I would go back, it was a little expensive for the quality ($26 for my entree) and most especially, the service.
My colleague and I were looking for crab in Baltimore and this place came highly recommended from the locals. We were a little worry since it was in a crappy part of town especially from a couple of Asian guys from So Cal, so we kinda stood out. The security guard in front was pretty helpful and showed us where to park.
The hostess was nice and sat us right away. The wait staff was really helpful and attentive. My friend ordered the garlic crab and i had ordered 4 crabs with crab chowder special. Chowder was pretty good and my friends garlic crab was pretty good as well.
My four crab were brought out steaming hot and started diving in. I've been eating crab all my life and i think I've become very good at it, until the waitress suggested a little trick to get the claws and I loved it. It was very easy. The waitress were great, we talked about food and travel and they gave us a few suggestions of other places to try.
Contrary to Jeff C's experience...we were not miss treated at all. The hostess was young and cute, and the wait staff couldn't be better. The only odd thing was this white couple in the corner kept looking at me dig through my crabs. I don't know if they were looking at me to get some pointers or if they have ever seen a couple of Asian before.
Went back to Obrycki's for a Father's day lunch. We were greeted by a grumpy old lady who unhappily showed us a table. We asked to move to another table, she prohibited us from doing so because "there are 8 people coming to the table next to you." OK, I didn't make this place so cramped, none of the people from the other reservation showed up yet, so why not take care of your customers who are already there. She made some rude remarks to us so we didn't say anything and took our seats. Then we saw her make some very rude comments to another Asian couple, but not the other folks... we got the picture.
So we sat down, the waitress took about 15 min to get to us, then asked us point blank to order a dozen crabs, which they only had medium. We weren't asked about drinks or anything else, and she took off.
10 minutes later, cold medium sized crabs came to our table. We cracked it open and found out they were COLD DRY CRABS FROM THE DAY BEFORE. At home, I don't even touch this garbage, never mind going to a crabhouse and paying $50 a dozen for this crap. It took me another 15 minutes to flag down the waitress (and the place was only 2/3 full) to ask for crabs that are not day old. So, about half an hour later, hot crabs appear, with mounds of dry spices on them. Having Obrycki's pull this CRAP on their customers is really poor form. At least offer it as day old crabs for half price and realize that they belong in the garbage.
So, half a dozen (half empty) crabs down, we were able to finally flag down the waitress to order drinks, and added our crab cakes and cream soups to the order. Then we had to flag them down again for a garbage can cause the table was so full of shells.
The crab cakes arrive, and they are good as always, except they were very tiny and expensive. Second time around, the soups were okay. The crabs did not meet our expectations. It took another 15 minutes to get the check which was $140 for four.
So, I give them credit for the good, tiny and expensive crab cakes, and the willingness to serve fresh crabs when customers realize they have been cheated.
However, I would never go to Obrycki's again for the following reasons.
1. Knowing that quite a few Asians go there, and being selectively treated like dirt, or second class citizens, and seeing others like me being treated this way is not fitting of this day and age. I don't care what mood the old lady is in, she needs to hold it in for the Asian folks just like she does for the other folks. If she is the owner, more shame on Obrycki's.
2. Trying to serve day old crabs at a crab house is like a steak house serving leftover steaks cooked the day before, or McDonalds doing the same with burgers. It not only ruins the reputation of the restaurant, but carries higher risk of food poisoning with shellfish.
3. Poor inconsistent service.
4. The need to pay the $5 parking to protect your car in the shady neighborhood for this poor restaurant is very not worth it.
Had to choose a Baltimore crab house and saw the review on Yelp and gave it a try. I would say that… Read more »
Everything about this place was Maryland-y. The crab was delicious. The waitress was saucy. The beer was readily available. It is a great place to go with a group, especially after a baseball game. A tad far from the waterfront, but an easy drive and relatively easy parking.
Loss of one star because the crabs were just sOOo salty. But the experience--the hammering of the crabs and the absolute mess we made with them-made up for it. And the saucy waitress helped.
My dad's family is from Glen Burnie and he would head to the East Coast every summer for almost 20 years. 20 years later, he decided to bring his kids back east to see Baltimore (minus all the vowels if you are saying it out loud).
During crab season, my dad has always had Maryland blue crabs shipped out to us in California every 2 weeks or so, so I know how to eat crabs. Tearing off legs, smashing them, sucking the meat out, I'm an old pro.
The thing is, I only ever did it with my family. On newspaper spread out on the dining room table. In California.
Obrycki's was the first experience I had where everyone around me, the entire state practically was tearing and smashing and sucking on tables lined with butcher paper. Obrycki's was great. It's a classic Baltimore outing and a quintessential Maryland experience.
Located in a really disgusting part of Baltimore, as opposed to all the really nice areas.. This place is an institution, the place to go for Maryland Crabs in Baltimore. Especially, if you are tourist like me.. And it's not touristy in a terrible, sloppy, crap food type of way, but, touristy in the over priced but, high quality sort of way..
The main reason why you go here is for the blue crab.. Yes we get the crab dip, and yes we get the wedge salad, and yes I like to get potato skins but, that's all prefab food service brand crap.. Well the crab dip isn't but, it's crab and cream cheese Type crap..
The reason why you come here is because they have beautiful extra large crabs steamed and then smothered in their wonderful crab rub..
A lot more peppery than normal MD mix.. A lot less Old Bay.. You can taste the several different types of pepper.. The mix is spicy with black pepper.. This is perfect for someone like me who loves pepper..
In college we would go to the Crab places and buy a box of crabs covered in old bay by the 20 pound full.. They were and are still great.. However, Obrycki's goes above and beyond to get amazing quality and sized crabs.. And you certainly pay for it..
Whatever, I am on vacation, I will spend a few extra bucks to get the best crabs available.. And that statement right there has been keeping them in business for years.
Went to Obrycki's for the first time last night. Now I'm giving it five stars, but it wasn't quite perfect, so let's start with the minor quibbles: 1) the air conditioner in the bar was set to "Antarctica," which meant my girlfriend was a goose-pimpled popsicle by the time we were seated; and 2) our waitress forgot to bring our trash can for the shells so we had a bit of a pile on our table before she came back. That's it. That's all the negative.
On the positive side, we started out with the savory crab soup (the girlfriend) and the New England style clam chowder (mine). Both were extremely good. I hadn't had clam chowder that good in a long time. Dinner consisted of a half dozen jumbos, corn on the cob and cole slaw. The slaw was outstanding, probably the second best restaurant slaw I've had in the last six months. The corn--very fresh. The crabs were so big they should have been called super jumbos, and they were extremely sweet and tasty. Absolutely outstanding.
OK--one more slight negative. We had the eclair supreme for desert, and honestly it just wasn't worth it. The eclair itself was good, the ice cream by itself was good, but they really didn't work all that well together. In the future, maybe just the regular eclair.
Thankfully, my hands don't smell like crab anymore, but if they did I'd probably have an uncontrollable urge to go back for seconds.
This is good old fashioned Maryland crabs at its best! No frills dining!
Tried their take on a bloody mary--I was hooked! A spicy bloody mary in a cup rimmed of their special crab seasoning with a celery stick and a giant crab claw! Delish!
Ordered 4 of the medium sized crabs (waitress said most people eat around 7-9) but I get full easily. Crabs dumped on table and a little trash bucket placed next to you. So messy and worth it.
Dad had crab cakes which were perfectly sculpted, spiced, and filled with just enough meat.
Staff was super friendly. Only downside is Obrycki's is in a bad neighborhood.
MJ's Star : 3
Price : Steamed Blue Crabs (6 of the medium sized crabs) $23 (excluding tip & tax)
Disclaimer: I am a West Coast Gal - that LOVES dungeness crabs!
But if you want the whole plastic bib, brown paper table cloths, and silver pail of crabs - by all means - Obrycki's your place! The crabs are much smaller (which means more work) and the crabs are coated in a peppery seasoning (not Old Bay's) which is good just different.
I am glad I went with a group of friends which made the experience memorable. Recommended if it's your first time and/or REALLY like crabs!
A bed of steamed hard shell crabs on the table, mouthwatering is an understatement. An elderly gentleman on a table next to us stood up and helped himself to give us a 101 lesson on how to open a crab. I'd like to assume he's a regular as he was just being kind to show us the proper way of doing it, and that he washed his hands thoroughly. Because the look on my friend's face when he cracked open the shell is a Kodak moment. I can't remember why we went to Maryland in the first place so my best guess has got to be Obrycki's.
I do a lot of group dining because I'm on the board of a national organization that meets several times per year. So this was our chosen location when we were in Baltimore. Great location, and get this... they served pitchers of beer for our group. Can't beat that. Dressing up all day in suits and then kicking back in shorts/jeans and throwing back pitchers of beer. Priceless.
Had the savory crab soup, which was a broth base rather than a cream base. Big plus for me because I hate creamy soups. Followed that up with the crab cakes, which had huge chunks of crab in them. Absolutely delectable. I was sad to eat the last bite, as I scanned everyone else's plates to see if they had left even the smallest morsel. So sad to discover that everyone else enjoyed them as much as I.
At $44.95/person with as much beer as you can consume in 3 hours, I thought it was also a heck of a deal. If I ever find myself in Baltimore again, I'm definitely going back for the crab cakes.
22 years ago - my fat little preschooler butt plunked down at an Obrycki's brown-paper covered table and discovered the beginning of the rest of my life.
If my familia had a restaurant, this would be it - we inhale crab and it's probably the one thing we all do well together. My fam's been going here since the original owners ran the place, now it's in the trusty hands of their children - who are a tad less friendly, but still nice enough.
My advice is:
1. Watch out for new/younger waitresses...they typically don't "get it" and give spotty service. Many of the older waiters/waitresses have worked there for a decade or more...and will give you the optimal restaurant experience to prove it.
2. Order the crab soup - sometimes the chef gets a little heavy handed with the salt. Don't complain. Just pour some water in to dilute and enjoy! No matter what, it's still delicious.
3.Don't be annoying and order some weird dish instead of crab - They are famous for their crab - not their pasta.
4. Order an Obrycki Ricky and take the glass home with you - at least once.
Short and sweet: Crab soup!!!
This place was my first stop in Baltimore for seafood. My boyfriend's Aunt had been there ages ago and hoped it still lived up to its rep. Happy to say it did. I ordered shrimp that was topped with mini crab cakes for my meal. I got to say i was a little upset the waitress did not ask me what type of potato I wanted for my side and just gave me french fries. But the food was soo good, I could let that slide. The crab cakes were moist and just the right size on top of the shrimp. It went together perfectly.
I also got a cup of the cream of crab soup. I immediately regretted it and wished I had gotten a bowl. It was delish!!!!!!! Filled with chunks of jump lump crab all through out it. I could eat this all day long!!
For those looking to crack crabs they have dungenous by the tray that they plop down on your table. They have oysters and tons of other seafood. This place was awsome!
A bit pricey but worth it. We liked the original crabcake much better than the spiced one. Expensive for lunch, but a nice special occasion.
Was in Baltimore for a business trip and was hunting for the best crab cakes in town. Little did I know that I would end up eating crab cakes for four meals in a row! (I was only there for two days.) The good thing is that I got to try different crab cakes from a number of restaurants and now I know which one is my favorite.
So I came Obrycki's for my third meal in Baltimore based on the Yelp reviews. A friend had told me that the restaurant was located in a really bad part of town so I was a bit worried. Yes, I drove through some sketchy parts but I didn't think it was that bad (i.e. I wasn't afraid for my life or anything).
Even though I came for their signature crabs, I couldn't resist getting crab cakes as well. I decided to get it fried this time and it came out golden-brown. Obrycki's crab cakes were a lot smaller than McCormick & Schmick's and Phillips (my first two adventures - see my other reviews) but what I liked about it was the fact that it came with a cocktail sauce whereas the others came with a tartar sauce. The cocktail sauce had horseradish and a good kick to it, and it complemented the crab cake well.
Next came the crabs - I've been dreaming about this for a while... The first time I visited Maryland was more than 10 years ago and my friends had taken me to a crab place where they just tossed dozens of crabs on butcher paper-lined tables and we just cracked them with a wooden mallet. This was the same experience. It's a lot of work for very little meat (I love crabs but it is soooo much work to eat them) but the little meat that I was able to get out was sweet and juicy. I probably could have eaten a lot more crabs, but soon I got tired of cracking. I knew I would be hungry in less than an hour. Nonetheless, I left satisfied and would definitely come back the next time I'm in Baltimore.
As for my search for best crab cake in Baltimore... well, Obrycki's crab cake was better than the last two places, but I expected more from Baltimore. Find out how I complete my quest by checking out my other crab cake reviews. :-)
I come here every year during the summer. We make a road trip down to MD from NYC just for this place. I always get the crab cake which is the best crab cake I've ever had. It's made of fresh delicious lump crab meat with just enough bread crumbs to hold it together, and is either broiled or fried. I've tried them both ways and when fried, it's never greasy but I prefer broiled.
I always get a dozen (or more) of the fresh steamed Maryland blue crabs. They're truly the best! Taste like they just caught them from the bay. Their a tad overly seasoned with Obrycki's special blend of spices & seasoning to the point where your lips are sometimes burning, but their so good that you just can't stop eating them.
I have a friend that is allergic to shellfish so she had grilled fish and once tried a steak, she said it was just ok, not the best but the waitors/waitresses are always accommodating and refills on drinks are plenty.
My brother who is a local also recommends this place and often dines here for freshly steamed crabs.
I think the only downside is that it's in a sort of shady neighborhood, so park in the designated lot and pay the $5 for someone to watch your car!
Almost without fail, my family and I will make our way down to Baltimore several times a year just to eat here. We've been coming here for years and it's practically an institution in Baltimore (or at least, I'd like to think so!). Sometimes we'll stay overnight, other times it'll be an early morning drive down, hang out at the Seaport for a few hours, and then an early dinner at Obrycki's before the 3 hour drive back to Jersey. It is THAT good. We have occasionally tried other crabhouses in the Baltimore area (usually eating crabs for lunch at the other place and crabs for dinner at Obrycki's -- I know, we're obsessed), but it's hard to find another restaurant that specializes in the "wet" style of hard-shell crabs I love so much. Most places use old bay seasoning that is often dry and caked onto the crabs... Obrycki's seasoning I would liken more to a glop coating the crabs, and the seasoning often seeps into the cracks, spicing the delicate meat inside. Delicious. When I was a child, I would gently wash my crabs off in the bathroom or scrape off the seasoning because it was too spicy for me (you invariably end up licking your fingers full of spice) but now, I find them absolutely perfect.
Of course, before we drive down, we always call to check what sizes are available. I believe crab season starts in April but the fat ones are usually available later in the year (so that they've had time to fatten up). From what I recall from last year's visit, a dozen of large ran for $50-55 and extra large ones were $60-65. Whatever you do, make sure you order the largest size possible. If you are extremely lucky they'll have jumbo crabs -- I have only had these once -- and they are massive. I can usually eat 5 large crabs, 3-4 extra larges... but only managed to down 2 jumbos that one time! Over the years, I think the crab sizes have gotten slightly smaller (for instance, a large doesn't seem *quite* so large anymore) but that might be because I've grown too! Take your time to find every crevice in the crab... part of the reason why I love eating crabs is that you are duly rewarded for your hard work with sweet morsels of meat. It makes me indelibly happy when I manage to pull out a fat "thigh" and it's one big juicy chomp before you start working to find the next piece of heaven all over again...
The only other item off the menu we almost always order is the Maryland crab soup. It's tasty and best when steaming hot. I've tried their crab cakes and various items off the menu before, but now I would never dream of filling up my stomach with anything but pure unadulterated (except for the seasoning!) crab meat. Too bad crab season hasn't started yet because now I really have a craving for it after writing this review...
Food: Fresh
Service: Extremely attentive and helpful
Price: Reasonable. ~ $20/person
The neighborhood threw me off. We parked on the main street next to Pratt and immediately some kids came up to my car and started cleaning my front windshield. Of course I rolled down the window and started yelling at them to stop.
The lady at the reception wasn't particularly warm or polite. Two strikes but I told myself that it's about the tasting experience.
Our waitress was beautifully attentive and helpful. My sister and I shared a creamed crab soup, crabcake platter and two medium whole crabs for roughly $40 plus dessert. The striking thing was that the whole crabs (medium) were only $3.25 each. Yes, that's right. $3 DOLLARS. Of course the single crab cake cost $20 but it was worth it. The crab chowder had slivers of fresh crab with some mouthfuls of shell (which was slightly annoying, but at least verified that the food was indeed fresh).
I would return. You get to crack the whole crabs with your personal mallet. The crabs are seasoned with salt and pepper.
Gold star #1 for Maryland. Only 1 day left...
Great Steamed Crabs!
I have been hearing about Obrycki's Crab House since I met my boyfriend last August! I have seen the tshirts, heard the stories and finally had the opportunity to experience it for myself last night!
Born and raised in Michigan, I had NO IDEA what I was in for. After a few brief lessons on the process I happily dove into my crab experience! I had a salad to start and took my time enjoying 4 delicious large crabs! Rumor has it that my boyfriend can successfully consume a whole dozen but was happy to stop at 7...WOW.
Nothing beats the experience from the time you walk in the door and are engulfed by the sweet aroma of Maryland blue crabs to the moment those perfectly seasoned crabs hit the table to the moment that you realize that everyone at the table hasn't said a word for the last 7 minutes because they have all been focused on the task at hand.
I love this place and will for sure be returning the next time I am in MD!
I wasn't sure about the stars, but I really couldn't think of a reason not to give it four. The crab cake was the best I've had outside my own kitchen. Maybe even better, really. At least it was all crab, tender, and unadorned. I'm not sure why there were potato chips on the plate, unless it was to prove that they weren't in the crab. (?)
We had the slaw (chips went well with that, since it was a little sweet) and that was all, other than a half-dozen crabs. The crabs were perfect; however, they were not from the Chesapeake.
Our waitress said us that if anyone told us they were serving crabs this size from local waters they were lying. The crabs were from Louisiana. (Having crabbed this area for many years, I believed her. Either that or the Bay crabs had mutated and I should be scared to eat them.)
I'm not a fan of lots of seasoning on my crabs, as I don't like to mask the sweet crab meat with lots of spice. Never made sense to me. It took ages to get the butter and lemon we requested. Maybe it was because they were filming a TV show that night and some of the staff seemed a little distracted. (Man vs Food?)
Would I go back? Absolutely. Next time I don't think we'll walk from the Inner Harbor to the restaurant. Tourists. Jeez.
This place is OK. I was tempted to give it two stars, but I'm in a generous mood. It somewhere in the middle of 2 and 3 stars.
The food was OK, but it was way overpriced. Crabs were very good, but tough to eat, but you can't fault the place for that. The house beer was decent - something like a cross b/w a lager and a fruity micro brew. Not sure I would order it again, but whatever. The crab cake was very mediocre, and not worth the $19 it cost. It came with two sides (creamed cucumbers, which were very good and refreshing, and potato salad, which was about the same as any other you've ever had).
The atmosphere is a bad. There are no windows, so it is dark all the time, and they had faux "old time" touches, which were cheesy.
The waitstaff was fine. They knew the menu, and they gave a good lesson on how to eat crabs, but they could have been a little more attentive throughout the meal.
The neighborhood is pretty rough. As we left, a girl was screaming at a guy about how his friend raped her 13 year old sister. I'm dead serious, and so was she.
At the end of the day, it was not worth $60 per man for a lunch that included shared dishes and two beers each.
This is hands down one of the best places in the world to get crabs......lol
The staff, decor, and of-course the food is fantastic. Every time I go to Baltimore I eat there at least twice.
For people who are unable to visit this fine establishment "guess what!!!!" They do mail orders.........
I am a Marylander, born and raised, so naturally I enjoy going out and eating crabs! They are delicious! I went to Obrycki's about a year ago with my Mom. We were in Baltimore overnight for a family friends baby shower. We suddenly had the craving for crabs. We asked the concierge where to go for good crabs, and they told us Obrycki's. So we eagerly made our way to Obryckis. I have to say I was excited at first. The inside was interesting, not the typical crab house, but it would do. We ordered a dozen large crabs, they were around $60 pretty standard. The crabs themselves were a good size, big, and meaty. However the one thing that makes me not want to ever go back is that they don't use Old Bay!! I was shocked. What crab house does not have Old Bay on the menu! They use their own peppery seasoning that just ruined the crab for me. I decided to suck it up and give it a try, and was extremely disappointed. I was missing the authentic maryland taste of a blue crab, with out Old Bay seasoning this simply does not exist. I then asked our waitress for some apple cider vinegar, which is the best vinegar to dip your crabs into, and she brought me out white vinegar, which is essentially flavorless, it doesn't bring out the crabs naturally sweet flavor. Our waitress wasn't too pleasant either. The one thing I did enjoy was the beer, they had several different kinds, and that was a plus. However I will never go back here for the crabs. If you are from out of town and want to enjoy a real Maryland crab experience, I would head East and go to Mike's Crab house in Riva, MD. They have a great atmosphere and most importantly delicious crabs!!
When my friends heard I was headed to Baltimore, the first thing they said was "Obrycki's!" I also discovered Obrycki's was listed in "1000 Places To See Before You Die" book. Many signs were leading me in this direction and the first chance I got, I took a taxi there.
I went there for lunch and the neighborhood wasn't too bad. We actually walked to Fells Point after stuffing our faces.
For our party of three, we ordered a dozen large steamed crabs ($56). The waitress asked if we needed a lesson and proceeded to show us the right way to pop one of these babies apart. With the table covered with brown paper, a bib on, and a garbage bin by our side, we got to work. Using the mallet and knife provided, we were on a roll. We also shared the Spicy Deep Fried Deviled Crab Cakes (two crab cakes for $28.95) meal that came with two corn on the cobs (or veggies) and French fries (or a baked potato). (I wish the waitress would have suggested the appetizer order instead.)
The crabs were yummy and oh so good. I wish they were a bit warmer though so the crab head would be steaming hot, but it wasn't. The crab cakes were pretty good too. It wasn't that spicy though, but still tasted good. Be sure to eat them while they are still hot!
Overall, we were pretty pleased with our first experience with Maryland steamed crabs. The waitress constantly replenished our beverages without asking and there were a decent amount of older diners there too. (I take that as a good sign, because that means they keep on coming back year after year.)
Check out the business profile to see pics of what I ate!
Oh Obrycki's.... the neighborhood that you're in is as ghetto as I remember it from so long ago... but now that I'm actually paying for my own meals I have to say that you're pretty freaking expensive.
But then again I heard there was a "shortage" of crab at the time... but I'm also told that there's some crab crisis going on every year....
The service was mediocre, but the crab was delicious. I still don't really get the whole seasoning the shell of the crab thing... I think it gets in the way of eating the crab itself and sometimes overpowers the flavor of the crab... would have liked it if the seasoning and other things like butter / vinegar were on the side.
That didn't keep me from laying waste to 10 crab, though.
This was my very first crab experience, so I have no idea if this place is any better than others, but I can tell you it was a great place for a crab neophyte to dive in to this whole fabulous, smelly, tasty, messy world of steamed crab. At first, I was disappointed that I'd only have time to go for lunch rather than dinner, but it ended up working out great, mostly because our waiter had all the time in the world to make sure those girls from Chicago wearing their nice suits knew what on earth they were doing with their mallets and knives. All in all, it was surprisingly satisfying to have to do all that work to get the crab meat out, and of course, it was delicious. Their house beer was the perfect order, too.
A couple of notes to out-of-towners:
1) if I had to do it again, I would take our waiter's advice and call ahead to make a reservation and (more importantly) request the "largest available" crabs. The medium ones were good, but apparently, this is an area where size really does matter. Evidently, if the kitchen knows there's some one coming in who cares, they'll make an extra effort to find bigger ones.
2) There's absolutely no way to engage in this experience and not expose yourself as the out-of-towner you are. Seriously, you're going to look ridiculous, but there's no way around it. For one meal, just suck it up, ask for directions, wear the bib, and embrace your tourist-i-ness. The rest of the patrons will know, anyway...
There's a reason why this crab house has been in Baltimore for over 60 years. Upon each of my visits to Baltimore in the past, I always go to Obrycki's. This is seriously the best crabs I've had in my life, so far. Not only is the food good, but the experience is also fun. Why? Because you are literally working for your meal---with a bib on, mallet in hand, cracking the crabs and fighting for your meat!
If you order what the majority of the people come in for, which is orders of the crab by dozens (small, medium, to large size crabs), the waitress will come and cover your tables with brown paper, provide big plastic bibs and wooden mallets for your dining experience. The crabs are then dumped on your table and you begin to slowly take apart those crazy suckers!
The crab itself is so good because there is a pepper spice that they make it with. I guarantee that by the time you finish, your lips and fingers will feel the effects of the salt and pepper that they have been in contact with. And, don't be surprised if your fingers still smell like crab the next day, seriously.
What is also good is the crab dip appetizer and their crab cakes. Their crab cakes are truly 100% crabmeat, the real deal, and no fluff. You're at a crabhouse so you better take advantage of all the crab there is!
Truly a Baltimore staple---in the ghetto though!
You know, I don't care if this is touristy. I was looking for a place to take the family while in town and try Maryland's famous blue crabs. You know the kind where they give you a mallet and you're supposed to pound out all your frustrations on a perfectly cooked peppered crab. This was totally the place for that.
I found this as the first place that showed up on a mobile yelp search, and people were right. It's kind of in a sketch neighborhood, but the crabs were really tasty. The interior was old fashioned, painted on crackly walls and old style chandeliers, and the fake windows! I love the glow from the fake windows. We started with a sample platter which had a variety of different seafoods and a cup of crab chowder, and a loaf of freshly baked bread. It was all so very good. The chowder was super filling in itself, with fresh cooked crab sprinkled on top, then the bread was crispy on the outside and moist and spongy on the inside, I wanted to eat a whole loaf, but we still had half a dozen crabs coming. Finally the crabs come and they are spilled onto our paper covered table, from there mallet in hand we went crazy tearing apart the delicious crabs.
The service was great, the decor was kitschy cool, and the crabs were peppery deliciousness. It won me and the family over.
But honestly yes, we were hungry 2 hours later. Eating crab is like eating air, but it was sure fun and tasty doing it.
Best Crabs anywhere!
The best time to go is when they have the jumbo size crabs. You can call and ask what they have and get a reservation. Make sure you wear something you don't mind getting crab all over.
I recommend going to this place! It's worth the food and the experience!
So as most people know, I went to school in Baltimore and pretty much have very little that is positive to say about this city... That said, this is the best crab restaurant in the entire world. I dare anybody to try and find a better place. I remember the first time I visited was when I was 8 or 9 years old and my parents took me here when they were visiting Peabody (I think it's pretty crazy that I ended up going to JHU, absolutely no part in the decision making process about what college I should go to had to do with my parents going there). Anyways I was a little kid and all I remembered was getting a bib, a knife, a hammer, and a dozen or so FRESH crabs dumped onto the table for me to go to town on. So 10 years later when I ended up going to school here, it became my go to restaurant.
The crabs were almost always fresh (maybe found 4-5 crabs that smelled a bit out of the ~150 or so I had eaten total). There's something really fun and exciting about getting to crack open your own crab and eat the meat right from the insides. One of the best parts is the seasoning. The seasoning is highly pepper based and can definitely make your lips burn, but it seemed like you could NEVER have enough.
There were a few occasions when I came for a quick bite where I would end up equally happy with the best crab cakes in the world. I would say that at least 80% of all restaurants that serve crab cakes serve them incorrectly and just overall suck. It's even more disheartening to see a place advertise "Real Maryland Crab Cakes" only to find out it's the same old processed shit the next place has. At Obrycki's you get the true LUMP crab cake experience. The smallest piece of crab in their crab cakes would be the size of a penny. The crab cakes are awesome any way you get them, whether it's fried, broiled, deviled, etc... Just depending on your mood, you will not be disappointed.
To be honest, the ONLY reason I would ever really want to go back to Baltimore is to eat at Obrycki's, and I hope I make the effort and take the opportunity to eat there again at least a few more times in my lifetime.
Reading some poor reviews of this place are really get me going. Especially anybody that says there are "better crab options" or "over-priced." I'd been to about 9 of the so-called best restaurants to get crabs in Boston, and not only were they on par or more expensive than Obrycki's, their quality, flavor, and experience were just completely unmatched in comparison. The over-priced comment is laughable, where can I get cheaper crab and not have a feeling in the back of my mind that I may get sick from this, not only that but have better crab in general. So sorry to the other reviewers that either had a bad experience, or whatever it was, but this place is awesome.
UPDATE: I dined here recently, and got to experience eating their medium sized crabs, steamed in their special seasoning mix. They cover your table with brown paper and dump the crabs right in front of you. You get a mallet and a bib. It was really messy, but that's the fun of it. The mix is really, really salty. So, make sure you have plenty of beer, water, lemonade, or whatever it takes to quench that thirst. The crabmeat was plentiful and sweet. Allow yourself plenty of time to get through your meal. Order some of the sides, too, for variety.
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I didn't get to dine in the restaurant itself, so I can't comment on the dine-in experience. Rather, I ordered it to go and drove back to Washington DC, getting lost along the way and at the risk of possibly having almost $200 worth of food, for 3 people, turn cold. Well, it was worth it. The food didn't go bad. We devoured the meal in our hotel room. Everything was so delicious. From the backfin crabcakes, broiled crab, crab soup, deep fried seafood, etc. They have a seasonal menu and are open only certain months, so check first, before you go.
I purposely overordered, because I knew I wanted to try as much as possible, plus, I don't get to go out to that region much. They do have mail order available, though. And while I was there, I bought a few bottles of their spice mixes as gifts.
Delicious crab cakes that are full of lump crab meat. (Not at all like the Jerimiah frozen crab cakes I keep in the freezer back home.) Obrycki's offers them broiled or fried; I ordered one of each and find the broiled one to be richer and more complex tasting (maybe due to the carmelization?). They're served with some steamed, lightly seasoned veggies and a baked potato or fries.
The crab soup was tasty but was loaded up with frozen mixed veggies and not too much crab. I don't think the veggies really harmed the soup, but it made me think of big bags of Bird's Eye vs. homemade... The clam chowder was pretty good - creamy with lots of potatoes - though I have to admit that I've had better. The kids really liked it, though. The potato skins with bacon and cheddar also get a kid vote.
Wanted to try the Crab Imperial and Crab Dip. The whole crabs looked really great, too. I picked up a bottle of the seasoning to take home. They also ship their seafood, but shipping is of course very expensive. A worthwhile stop if you're visiting Baltimore, but might be best not to stray too far from the crab dishes.
Obrycki's was a place that appeared to be a 'must do' while in Baltimore. So I 'did' it. And honestly, I was a little disappointed. First, I found the interior to be a version of '50's institutional brown' - brick, drab, not well lit, no windows. The neighborhood it is located in seems to have had better days. Maybe it is NOT a good thing that upon entering, all you see are t-shirts and trinkets being sold. I started thinking to myself that these kinda places back home are tourist traps.
I was on a recent business trip with a fellow co-worker, who had lived not far from Obrycki's but had never been, so we were seated and settled down to look at the menu. I went with the Treasures of Seafood platter while he had the crab cakes (backfin) and we got some crabs. I thought the crabs were overpriced and could have been seasoned 'more' - though being from south Louisiana, there are lots and lots of crabs (cheap) and well, we like a bit more flavor, so there could be a little prejudice on my part here. The fried items on the Treasures of Seafood platter tasted like they were all cooked in the same 'old' grease and just weren't that good. I mean the best part of the meal was hammering away at the crabs with a mallet and making a mess. I needed some pepto once I got back to the hotel afterwards.
This seems to me to be a place that is living off of glory days of the past. The meal wasn't exciting and for the price, just wasn't worth it.
While in Baltimore, I really wanted to try crabs at a place where they cover the table with paper, pour the crabs on and give you a hammer. Yelp led me here, and what a great choice it was.
Although Charm City natives tell me crabs served with any seasoning other than Old Bay are unthinkable, these crabs were awfully delicious to this New Yorker. I liked that you could order as many as you wanted - four was plenty for me along with a side salad. The house cocktails were also delicious, as was my friend Amy's crab cake.
I'm very unskilled in crab-shucking but our sweet waitress was more than happy to help me learn the ways.
It was definitely a great recommendation and gave me a real feel for Baltimore.
Baltimore, MD
Category: Seafood Markets
Baltimore, MD
Category: Bars
Baltimore, MD
Category: Seafood
Linthicum Heights, MD
Category: Seafood
Baltimore, MD
Category: Delis
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