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Best All-you-can-eat Crabs near DC?

post #1 of 24
2/11/10 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
I'm planning a trip to DC around April 1st for the start of golf season. I'll most likely be staying in DC, then heading out to either VA or MD for golf. I know it's early, but I have to plan in advance with the friends I have due to family, babysitter, etc.

Anyone know of a really good all-you-can-eat crab place near DC?
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post #2 of 24
2/11/10 at 4:36pm
All you can eat crabs is very blue collar. And everyone knows how much you hate blue collar people.
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post #3 of 24
2/11/10 at 5:15pm
Thread Starter 
I have to admit they came in quite handy when digging out my car this morning.

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post #4 of 24
2/11/10 at 11:01pm
All you can eat usually= tiny crabs. Personally, I'd rather have fewer of the larger sizes. Obrycki's in Baltimore is a good choice... in Baltimore County, Ocean Pride on York Rd. is great.

Cheers,
G
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post #5 of 24
2/11/10 at 11:33pm
ocean pride on york rd. LOL @ local. Nothing wrong with ocean pride... just makes me laugh as someone who grew up on the york rd. corridor. I'd advise you to go to Annapolis - it's within striking range of DC - closer than Baltimore, and you'll find good crabs there. Buddy's is probably scoffed at by non-tourists but you'll get solid crabs. I agree that getting a 1/2 dozen #1s is far superior to scarfing down a baker's dozen of stringy, light, watery AYCE crabs. Annapolis is good because there's other stuff to do there, too. Hit some of the bars, some pretty good looking girls in Annapolis.
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post #6 of 24
2/12/10 at 3:29am
your moms vagina
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post #7 of 24
2/12/10 at 12:50pm
Cantlers in Annapolis is the rec I've gotten from people who know crabs better than me. It's a little out of the way, rather than downtown, and it's a pretty honest crabhouse. Last time I was there I ordered a beer and the waitress brought three, just in case. I hope you like Miller Lite or Coors in cans

And I agree that unless you're really going to sit around picking crabs for a couple of hours, a half dozen meaty ones beats the all-you-can-eat deal.

Also, good local crabs are not going to be cheap or common on April 1. If you really insist on local crabs, you'll want to call ahead and ask, b/c I'd bet a lot of places are still serving gulf crabs that early in the season.
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post #8 of 24
2/12/10 at 12:57pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by shoreman1782 View Post
Also, good local crabs are not going to be cheap or common on April 1. If you really insist on local crabs, you'll want to call ahead and ask, b/c I'd bet a lot of places are still serving gulf crabs that early in the season.

Isn't April the beginning of crab season? I thought that was THE time to come and eat crabs in Maryland because all the crabs have been fatting up all winter long.

Edit: Better article:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/travel/12crab.html
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post #9 of 24
2/12/10 at 1:26pm
^That article hits close to home. Waterman's in Rock Hall is where I always got crabs in college. And that picture with the cake is of my friend's mom's hands (and her cake).

The conventional wisdom that's been fed to me is that the best time to eat local crabs is late in the season--labor day or later. At that point, crabs are cheaper and, in my experience, heavier. That NYTimes piece seems to claim there's some secret availability of a winter-heavy crab in early spring; that's the first I've heard that.
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post #10 of 24
2/12/10 at 2:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shoreman1782 View Post
The conventional wisdom that's been fed to me is that the best time to eat local crabs is late in the season--labor day or later. At that point, crabs are cheaper and, in my experience, heavier. That NYTimes piece seems to claim there's some secret availability of a winter-heavy crab in early spring; that's the first I've heard that.

+1. It's not so much just about the crabs themselves as the availability. Getting good #1s in season is damned near impossible unless you are buying a lot or have some pull. It gets a lot easier in September because everyone thinks the season is over but in reality, it's not.

Cantler's is a good recommendation, btw. Better than Buddy's.
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post #11 of 24
2/12/10 at 10:26pm
Been a long time since I was there, but Cantler's was very good. And it will be tough scoring really heavy crabs that early... I've always had better crabs later too.

Cheers,
G
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post #12 of 24
2/12/10 at 11:57pm
A second Cantlers in Annapolis. But crabs in April is not a good idea.
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post #13 of 24
2/13/10 at 6:30am
My info is stale but I think there was a seafood place on Wisconsin Ave near TentleyTown. Cant remember the name but from Tentleytown station, walk towards Friendship heights. There are a bunch of small restaurants on both sides of the street. On one side there is Domino Pizza and a jewish restaurant. The other side was a mediterranean restaurant and a seafood place. The seafood restaurant has a wood interior. I never ate there, so I cant tell you if its good or bad or if they have all-you-can-eat crabs. But my info is very old. I left D.C. 6 years ago.
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post #14 of 24
2/13/10 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cordwinder View Post
My info is stale but I think there was a seafood place on Wisconsin Ave near TentleyTown. Cant remember the name but from Tentleytown station, walk towards Friendship heights. There are a bunch of small restaurants on both sides of the street. On one side there is Domino Pizza and a jewish restaurant. The other side was a mediterranean restaurant and a seafood place. The seafood restaurant has a wood interior. I never ate there, so I cant tell you if its good or bad or if they have all-you-can-eat crabs.

But my info is very old. I left D.C. 6 years ago.

It's still there. Looks a bit stale, from the outside at least.
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post #15 of 24
2/13/10 at 8:35am
In Northern Virginia there's always Captain Pell's... but Maryland is of course much better.

http://www.captainpell.com/
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