Maryland foodies weigh in on the blue crab obsession and the best places to find them

What’s the one thing in Maryland you go out for where you don’t wear white, you are going to get your hands dirty, it requires a lot of labor, but it is fun and worth it? Maryland blue crabs.

(Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

If you’re a native Marylander you’re probably familiar with blue crabs, but you may or may not be aware of which spots are serving up the best blue crabs in the state.

Jordan Zelesnick, known as “JZeats” on Instagram, has been a Baltimore food blogger and photographer for the last seven years and she says going out for blue crabs is a rite of passage that starts when you are a child.

“They’re covered in Old Bay and you’re hammering at the crab to pick them and things are just kind of flying everywhere and you’re gonna get your hands dirty. It’s a fun experience,” said Zelesnick. She remembers when she was a little girl and would have crab, the Old Bay seasoning was too spicy so her crabs would get washed off.

Now she wouldn’t dare. The best way for her to have them is just with Old Bay seasoning and as she picks them she uses the seasoning on her fingers to season the meat as she eats it.

Zelesnick’s number one place to get blue crabs is from Nick’s Fish House. She says you might pay as much as you would for fine dining to get a dozen crabs, however, “I think it’s fun, it’s worth it [and] it’s like a social activity.”

Chris Franzoni, founder of @eatmorebaltimore, agrees that going out for blue crabs is an experience. He says in the summer you get a table outside, it's covered in paper, a few bushels of crabs are dumped on the table, you have your knife and mallet, and you enjoy them with your friends and family.

“It's the equivalent of grilling out and a picnic,” he said.

Franzoni said they are easy to mess up so his number one place to have blue crabs is Costas Inn. “They nail it all the time.”

Traditionally Maryland blue crabs are steamed, sometimes with beer, and served with Old Bay seasoning on them.

Zelesnick and Franzoni agree that crabs are not that filling as they are pretty small so it’s not likely you get full from eating them unless you are having a dozen of the jumbo ones, therefore it is common for people to get the crabs with sides.

Franzoni said common sides are corn on the cob, pasta salad, potato salad, and a protein like a burger or steak. Zelesnick prefers to enjoy hers with french fries, corn, or crab soup.

Other places recommended were Captain James Seafood Palace, LP Steamers, and Mr. Bill’s Terrace Inn.

Do you have a favorite blue crabs spot in Maryland?

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