On The Bay

42^nd Street and Coastal Highway

410-524-7070

August 23, 2010

Sweeter will be the word that comes to mind when you crack open the crabs from On The Bay. The seasoning is a doctored-up variation of J.O., a common crab seasoning. But On The Bay’s version is one where your mouth isn’t burning after your sixth or seventh or tenth crab. I’m not sure what happens after No. 10, we only ate 20 crabs of our ½ bushel during our first sitting.

Co-owner Rosemary Corbey will tell you there’s no cayenne. You and your kids already get sunburned at the beach. Why make it worse by having your lips burn? Their own seasoning is one reason the crabs Corbey and partner Rob Wyne sell stand out, but it’s not the only one.

Corbey is one of those crab shack folks you’ll remember. She tells you about the crabs as she’s ringing you up at the register. She then makes the rounds and talks with her customers as they eat their crabs on a sandy beach of long, white wooden picnic tables outside. There’s no inside seating. On the night we were there Corbey took great care to make sure it was OK to seat us at the same picnic table as another family to ensure we were in the shade.

It used to be that everybody got a picnic table under a bright blue umbrella, but now On The Bay has an under-cover pavilion. The new shady area, complete with overhead fans and decorations of Canadian goose decoys and buoys, makes the outdoor eating experience one you’ll enjoy. Trust me on this one. You will want to be under cover. On The Bay is a people-loving kind of place where you end up chatting with the family next to you because, well, you want to. How else would I know that the guy next to us was a veteran who grew up on a dairy farm in upstate New York, served in the first Gulf War and now works construction in Arizona? His family ended up at On The Bay because another restaurant down the road served crab cakes that were mostly filling, and they never had that problem at On The Bay.

Of course, if you don’t like Jimmy Buffet music, you’ll need to take your crabs home. Buffet plays endlessly here, and yes, the 20-somethings who are customers do like to sing “Cheeseburger in Paradise” while chugging back their beers and pigging out on the $25 crab feast. With Coastal Highway as their backdrop (On The Bay is on the ocean side of the highway), singing outdoors is acceptable. On the five-point scale, On The Bay gets a 5 for atmosphere.

For taste and size, the crabs are solid 4s. The sweetness is a change of delightful change of pace. At $50/dozen for medium-large crabs, we knew we’d eat 1 ½ dozen. Since it’s never really certain in Ocean City what a medium-large crab is, we opted for a different strategy. Rather than pay $75 for a 1 ½ dozen, we decided to blow another $5 and get a ½ bushel. Having previously eaten at On The Bay, I didn’t think it would be too much of a risk. For our $80, we ended up with 36 decent sized crabs. There were no wimpy crabs (by wimpy, I mean light or watery) in the ½ bushel. Many of the crabs had that blackened look they get when they’ve been buried down and allowed to mature, ie. not caught too young in life.  For the two of us, this translated into dinner one night, lunch the next day and a bunch of claws and legs for an upcoming soup. The ½ bushel option gets a 5 on my value scale.

While you might expect to find Chesapeake Bay crabs in Ocean City, Corbey tells you up front that the crabs are from North Carolina. On The Bay has a crab plant in North Carolina and three people who crab for the restaurant. Corbey says having the Outer Banks operation gives On The Bay a reliable source of crabs and lets the restaurant dictate quality control. The business model seems to work. While a transport company sometimes delivers the crabs to Salisbury for On The Bay, that wasn’t the case the night we were there. Instead, Corbey, who said the restaurant needed crabs, was waiting for Wyne to arrive from North Carolina. In this case, reliability isn’t a bay away, it’s a highway away. But from the customer perspective, it doesn’t matter. In Ocean City, On The Bay is a journey worth taking – if you love crabs and good service.

Leo’s Seafood Restaurant
139th Street
Ocean City, Md. 21842
410-250-1600 or 410-250-9936

Aug. 22, 2010

“Leo’s had bigger crabs” read the note from my older brother. In choosing Leo’s over another Ocean City crab joint, he said his decision was a “no brainer.”

My brother’s advice is usually pretty good, but would it hold up to my crab shack standards? More than a decade ago I know I went to Leo’s, but thinking back I couldn’t remember whether it was for crabs or breakfast or a sub. No memory.

While Leo’s has a bit of a split personality, offering breakfast omelets all day as well as subs and chicken, when you drive down Coastal Highway, you can’t miss Leo’s sign, “3 doz. crabs $40.” The only change over the years has been a $1 increase in price.

The first good sign that my Friday night foraging would be successful: The Fresh Catch seafood truck from Crisfield is delivering. I have no shame. I stick my head into the back of the crab guy’s truck and ask him how the crabs are running. His answer was short and sweet: “Great.” Yes, it’s the answer you’d expect, except when you know somebody’s scamming you, usually their eyes will tell the truth. This guy’s smile told me what I wanted to know – “great” probably meant “great.”

Leo’s is bustling. The restaurant has an all-you-can eat deal for $19.99 and people seem to be taking advantage of that. Of course, I prefer to get larger crabs, so I opt for a half-dozen large crabs for carry-out. I was eating alone, and at $46/dozen, I had to make sure it was the right decision. I ended up getting charged $24.50 for a half dozen. I didn’t quibble. It could be how Leo’s operates.

Making small talk with the woman at the counter turned out to be like talking to the waterman. Short answers, but sometimes that’s all it takes. I could have found it annoying, but for some reason didn’t. When she told me there’s never a bad crab season, “not when you know what you are doing.” I had to wonder exactly what she meant.

The half-dozen large really turned out to be large crabs. But by large, I mean they were heavy. Each turned out to be meaty. The meat came out of the crabs in large lumps. The seasoning didn’t quite seem like an off-the-shelf commercial product. Leo’s seasoned the crabs well, and about my third crab in, as my mouth was pleasantly burning and I’m looking up at the moonlit sky with the sound of the waves crashing in front of me, I thought, “Oh, that tastes a little like celery seed. And, could that be rock salt?”

While I picked my fourth crab, I kept thinking about the charge for the half-dozen. Should I be ticked? No, no. I’m on vacation. That’s when it dawned on me. I’ve eaten four crabs and there are still three more waiting to be eaten. Count them again. Yes, four open shells and three crabs that haven’t been cracked. My half dozen turned out to be seven. I can’t get ticked at that. The young man who handed me my crabs did tell me with a smile to “enjoy.” Now, I’m wondering whether he slipped me an extra, or if that’s just part of Leo’s “not when you know what you are doing” philosophy. Either way, it worked for me.

Curiosity about the seasoning led me to call Leo’s the next morning. The seasoning in fact is not just Old Bay. It’s Old Bay mixed with rock salt and “other spices.” Here’s the bottom line, for taste, I’d give these crabs a solid 4. For size and value, they get a 5. Since my “atmosphere” was my own, I can’t rate what it’s like to eat at Leo’s. For what it’s worth, while I waited for my crabs, the waitresses quickly cleared the tables and seemed to be getting the food out to the tables quickly.

Captain John’s Crab House & Marina
16215 Cobb Island Road  
Cobb Island,  MD  20625  
301-259-2315

July 5, 2010 

For a relaxing, pleasant crab house experience, hop in the car or boat and head to Captain John’s Crab House & Marina on Cobb Island, Md.

This Charles County restaurant on the Neale Sound, off the Wicomico River, is the type of place you remember, but not for anything negative.

You remember it for great tasting crabs, friendly service and the waterfront scenery.

We went there on a long, holiday weekend (Monday, July 5), so it probably wasn’t realistic to expect large crabs that day. When we asked the waitress about how heavy the mediums were, she was honest and said they were so-so. We appreciated the candor. With her so-so answer, we ordered a dozen and a half for the two of us. Cost for a dozen medium local crabs was $35.

It concerned me that the crabs arrived at the table so quickly, but what came to the table took me by surprise. These Cobb Island mediums – topped with a house-made rock salt seasoning – would pass for large crabs in Ocean City or Northern Virginia. While the table already had a shaker of Old Bay, I couldn’t help but ask for a little more of the rock salt mixture on the side. Trust me, you’ll love it.

The restaurant had a decent late lunch crowd – clearly a mix of boaters and locals — on this extremely hot day. The parking lot was packed, and we watched as others came off their boats and onto to Captain John’s pier. There’s seating inside and outside, but that afternoon only one man braved the heat to eat outside.

What you’ll love about Captain John’s is that nobody seems rushed to get you in and out after your meal. In fact, we overheard our waitress say to another table after dropping off the check, “No hurry. Sit and relax.” That’s exactly what that table did, as well as others.

For us, it was a long, leisurely lunch, cracking crabs and watching the water through the restaurant’s huge glass windows.

On the flip side, if you want to get in and out quickly, it’s clear the staff won’t slow you down. A family who wanted to get out quickly after their meal did. After they left, the staffed quickly cleared the table, leaving no large piles or buckets of other people’s already-picked crabs sitting around.

FYI, the checks come with suggested gratuities, but these folks work hard and willingly answer your questions or find somebody who knows the answer, so keep that in mind as you’re paying.  Minor aside: I would have liked the waitress to tell me her name.

What we noticed is that the waitresses know the regulars here. They chat with them in their down time. They ask them ahead of time where they want to sit the next day. And, yes, they’ll belt out a pretty good version of “Happy Birthday,” if you’re there on your birthday.

While we didn’t sample the rest of Captain John’s menu, the food we saw at other tables looked pretty good. Across the board, Captain John’s earns a 4 on a scale of 5.

For us, it was worth the drive.

June 18, 2010

When the text came in that said, “Bringing home dinner,” I had a good idea dinner would be crabs. I knew that they’d be bought somewhere between Beltsville and Alexandria, but beyond that I really had no expectations.

The crabs that came home from the Crab Galley of Bowie turned out to be winners. Ed “found” the place on his way home from work. Of course, others already knew it was there, wedged between a dry cleaner and nail salon in a strip center on Laurel Bowie Road/Md. 197. The place is popular enough to have people sitting outside waiting for their crabs.

I had to laugh when Ed recounted the story of asking for a dozen and a half of the $45/dozen large crabs. The guy behind the counter then realized the prices for the crabs hadn’t been changed for the day. It was Friday, of course, and that typically means higher crab prices. To a certain extent, the Louisiana oil spill has contributed to higher prices. Very simply, it’s a matter of supply and demand.

Graciously and as a matter of good customer service, Crab Galley gave Ed the $45 price. The downside: We only ended up with a dozen crabs. That was a bummer, but I’ll chalk it up to Ed being soft-spoken, since I wasn’t there. Crab Galley then quickly changed the price to $55/dozen. If I’d worked there, I might have wiped off the $45 price and waited until no customers were around to change the price.

Overall, I’d give the crabs – definitely locals – a 4 on a scale of 5. Each turned out to be meaty and well-seasoned – not a loser in the dozen. And, while I probably could have eaten more, I would have been complaining about being too full if I had. For taste and size, Crab Galley gets a 4. The same goes for value.

This quaint seafood shop is definitely on our list of ‘Let’s go back there” places.

Bahama Mamas North

13201 Coastal Highway

Ocean City, Md. 21842

410-524-8585

May 30, 2010

Some things you just don’t want hear when you’re eating crabs. “I’ve been sweating my balls off” is one of them. Those are the exact words that came out of one waiter’s mouth at Bahama Mamas North as he waited on a group of friends Memorial Day weekend.

That same waiter quickly served those friends crabs as the two neighboring tables – a group of bikers and a large family with young children – waited and waited for their crabs. The waiter complained loudly enough that those of us at other tables could hear how he had all of three tables to wait on and hadn’t stopped since he got on the job.

Boo hoo. I’m glad the kid wasn’t my waiter or I gladly would have read him the riot act.

And, man, what a bad experience – one I swear I won’t repeat.

Before I completely blast the substandard food and service, let me first say that in years past I’ve ordered carry-out from a different Bahama Mamas location (the 78^th Street location before it became a sub shop) and been satisfied. I was eager to try the restaurant where Higgins used to be located. I didn’t get to it last summer.

Unprepared, under-trained and under-staffed. Those are things no restaurant in a resort town should be on a weekend, especially a holiday weekend – one where people are itching to part with their cash after a great day on the beach.

With tables open, Bahama Mamas deliberately didn’t seat its customers, telling people the wait was 15, 20, 35 minutes because the restaurant didn’t have enough servers. Seriously – not enough servers on a holiday? During a recession?

As I waited my 20 minutes for a table of two (there were at least five open tables inside and at least four outside), the hostess (“Honestly, I don’t know where the crabs are from.”) seated two other larger parties that didn’t have reservations. Four other families took their names off the waiting list, and the phone rang and rang.

Once seated, the first waitress said she’d be right with us. She was back in five minutes to tell us another waitress would handle our order. She stopped by again when she saw we were still sitting there. Waitress No. 2 appears – completely frazzled. Frazzled? It’s only 6:30 p.m. It’s too early to be frazzled, to not tell the customer your name.

After seeing how small the all-you-can-eat crabs ($21.95 with crab soup and corn, unless you believed the sign outside that said $19.95) were, we opted for conch shell fritters ($9) and a dozen large crabs ($39) for the two of us. Bahama Mamas considers a crab a large crab if it’s 5.25 ounces to 6 ounces.

The fritters had to be rolled on a paper towel they were so greasy. The North Carolina crabs had a lot of seasoning on top of them, but turned out to be completely tasteless and watery. Typically, when I eat crabs, my hands are covered in seasoning. These crabs were so watery that my hands were basically clean when I finished picking.

By comparison, crabs we bought Friday night from Ocean Grille in Easton had more taste after two hours in the car than these did served hot.

My best guess: the crabs at Bahama Mamas were old. That’s the conclusion of my taste buds and my digestive system since they made a quick exit. Sorry if’s that’s TMI.

Completely disappointed, I guess I can take consolation in a couple of things.

My crabs weren’t given to the waiter’s friends.

I didn’t get a dirty glass of soda, as the table next to me did.

I didn’t have to keep waiting for corn or soup or crabs, as the group next to us did.

I didn’t have to send back any crabs. A woman in the restroom told me of the half dozen she had, two had to go back.

And, I wasn’t sitting next to a large table that hadn’t been cleared. I watched one prime table remain piled with crab pickings for 20 minutes.

The refrain I kept hearing from the waitresses to their customers was the same: “I’m sorry.” I find that sad. Apologies don’t make the food and service any more palatable.

Bahama Mamas, you need to get your act together. Update your web site. This is your second summer at this location and it’s not on your site. Hire enough people and train your staff properly. A hostess should know about the crabs. Waitresses shouldn’t be running from one end of the restaurant to the other. Tables should be cleared quickly – not 20 minutes after a family leaves. And, under no circumstances should waiters be telling customers about their “balls.”

Ocean Grille
9639 Ocean Gateway
Easton, Md. 21601
410-770-4644

Nov. 6, 2009

On a beach-bound Friday evening, one of my favorite things to do is to stop in Easton or Cambridge and get a half-bushel of steamed crabs to take to the condo.

Usually, the crabs are cheaper than in Ocean City. And, I find it a lot of fun to check out different places, especially in towns where crabbing is or has been a mainstay.

This weekend I opted to stop in Easton at Ocean Grille. It’s a crab shack on U.S. 50 that typically gets our business on the way home from the beach.

It’s the type of place with big, hand-painted placard signs advertising the day’s deals. I had to laugh because on the drive past Ocean Grille, I didn’t see the sign on the top of the building that said, “The best U-turn you’ll ever make.” Yes, I had made the U-turn.

As I took the dog for a quick walk, Ed ordered the half-bushel of No. 1s (up to 6 ¾ inches big) for $55. When the box arrived, it was piled high with piping hot crabs, so many that it was nearly overflowing. This turned out to be a true value – a 5.

We knew the crabs wouldn’t be hot by the time we reached O.C. but that didn’t deter us from enjoying them. Of course, we didn’t eat all of them in one sitting. We spent the weekend enjoying them.

In terms of size, there wasn’t a loser in the lot Each one was filled out, and there was no shortage of claws. On size, they rate a 5. Ocean Grille delivered on what it promised.

On taste, these crabs were definitely a 4. Well cooked and decently seasoned, I couldn’t complain about them.

Since I’ve never eaten in at Ocean Grille, it would be unfair for me to give it a rating for atmosphere. I will say the people working there are friendly.

Overall, Ocean Grille gets a rating of 4. If the signs don’t pull you, take my recommendation and stop by. Small businesses like this need every dollar they can get.

The Best Crabs Seafood Co.
143^rd Street and Coastal Highway — Bayside

Actual Address:

14203 Coastal Highway

Ocean City, Md. 21842

1-410-250-7177

August 27, 2009

Rarely do I pop for a dozen jumbos, and I mean rarely. But there was something in the waterman’s voice that just said “just do it.” I was going to opt for a dozen and a half large at The Best Crabs. I’ve been going there for years and have never been disappointed.

The guy steaming the crabs said he had caught 3 to 4 bushels of jumbos in the Chester River and that they were “big and full.” Knowing my brother has just done the same thing recently in the Chester River – caught a couple of bushels of really big crabs – I knew the waterman wasn’t pulling one over on me.

What I wasn’t expecting was for the crabs to be so large and so full. Some of them measured in at 9+ inches. For size, these crabs easily ranked a 5. Seasoned with J.O. #2, each was as sweet as can be. Cooked to perfection and seasoned well, there is no question, these crabs rated as 5s. It was the first time this season that I truly said, “Hmm and awww” after the first crab.

Best Crabs is a carry-out, tucked away in Misty Cove Shopping Center, a strip of four stores. It does have two colorful outdoor tables, but be aware there is a 15 percent gratuity tacked on if you eat there. As a carry-out, its staff is always friendly and efficient. My preference is to go in rather than to call, only because you might get a better recommendation doing so. I certainly did. On value well, these jumbos did cost $95 for the baker’s dozen, but it was a baker’s dozen. Honestly, they were so big that a couple will end up being breakfast.

As for atmosphere, mine rated a 5. I sat on an oceanfront deck watching the waves, drinking a Sam Adams and cracking crabs. I can’t think of anything anymore wonderful, can you?

Cameron’s Seafood

1655 Oxon Hill Road

Oxon Hill, Md. 20745-3124

301-749-7000

August 9, 2009

For years I’ve seen Cameron’s ads in food section of “The Washington Post,” but I’ve never tried any of their nine Maryland/D.C. locations. (They have a tenth location in Philadelphia.) The ad offered No.1 males for $18/dozen and No. 2 males for $8/dozen. No.1s are supposed to be the largest, meatiest crabs available. Common sense tells me that the No. 1s probably going to be the small, just based on the price. I’m OK with that. In my mind I’m thinking, “Small, meaty crabs will be good. Anything more and I’ll be impressed.”

Cameron’s offers a nice first impression as a clean carry-out with a fresh and frozen fish counter and individual meals. The crab cakes looked spectacular. On the Sunday afternoon that we visited, folks in their Sunday finest streamed in, placing their orders for meals. No crabs, just meals.

I expected to be hanging out for 15 or 20 minutes, waiting for the two dozen I ordered with my coupon. The wait – less that 5 minutes – should have tipped me off to something wrong. When the guy behind the counter asked me whether I wanted seasoning on the crabs, I, of course, said yes. Cameron’s sells its own seasoning, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to have a little extra on top.

On the drive home I dipped my finger into the crab bag not once but twice to taste the seasoning. Clearly I could taste the seasoning’s paprika. The prospect of some tasty crabs started to get me excited.

That excitement came to a near standstill when we dumped out the crabs on the dining room table. Water – lots of water – poured from the bag. I tried to convince myself that it was extra steam – from the bag. I knew better. As I opened the first crab, water poured from its insides. The same with the next — and the next — and the next. I kept thinking, “Maybe the next one will be better.”  That’s right. I had just wasted $36 on two dozen (really 29) mushy, tasteless crabs. Good thing I had the guy scoop extra seasoning all over them.

With pruned fingers I opened the last nine and decided the other way I could salvage this nasty crab moment would be turned what’s left into soup. Afterall, the seasoning was pretty good. Combined with some veggies in hot water, this will probably be the best thing that can happen to these crabs.

So what are the positives that came out of this experience? 1. I didn’t pay full price — $22/dozen. 2. I didn’t opt for three dozen, like I originally debated. On a scale of five, Cameron’s gets a two. One thing I know for sure – I won’t be going back.

Captain Billy’s Crabhouse

 11495 Popes Creek Rd
Newburg, MD 20664-2125
(301) 932-4323

Reviewed: July 26, 2009

There are crab joints you go to savor the crabs, and there are crab joints you go to enjoy who’s with you and the view. Captain Billy’s ranks as the latter.

Situated on the picturesque Potomac River with a view of the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge, this restaurant literally sits over the water. The view of the sailboats and ski jets is worth the drive past the cornfields to the waterfront.

The large crabs at $50 a dozen did even out to be large, once we factored in that a couple would have been jumbos elsewhere and a couple definitely qualified as mediums or extremely light larges. 

With large booths inside and tables on the riverfront deck, Captain Billy’s is clearly set up to handle volume and to handle the crab-leg and fried food crowd. And they were coming in six and eight to a table. We were there for a Southern Maryland delicacy  — steamed crabs.

The restaurant’s service wasn’t immediate once we sat down, but once the waitress figured out we were there, it was reliable.

On a scale of 5, Captain Billy’s delivers a 3. The Maryland blues lacked flavor. Clearly, they had seasoning, but they just didn’t leave you with any reason to order a second dozen. OK, Captain Billy’s gets credit for fast service. The crabs came to the table less than 5 minutes after ordering them. Unfortunately, they were cold before I finished the first one. Hey, they’re crabs. I’ll eat them hot or cold. The hush puppies were generic (don’t waste the $4). And, after driving past all that tall corn, we could have gone for an ear or two, but corn didn’t make it to the menu or the vegetable of the day list.

The table next to us ordered a second dozen. The $50/dozen crabs (an upgrade from their first dozen of $40 mediums) came to the table piping hot with a promise to deliver the four that were missing. They ended up getting a fifth for their wait, and they seemed to be really pleased with their second dozen.

Aside from the fact our dozen was lukewarm-to-cold, I might have ordered a second, except that Captain Billy’s ran out of larges. It was a bit of a bummer since it was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, not even prime-dining time.

Overall, Captain Billy’s delivers – if you’re looking for a gathering spot with a great view.

Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant and Crabhouse
1510 Cherry Hill Road
Dumfries, Va. 22026-2939
703-441-1375

Reviewed: June 20, 2009

OK, the tone and attitude of the teenaged hostess turned out to be a big heads up as to how the evening at Tim’s Rivershore Restaurant would go. As she took us to our seats, I asked her, “So where are the crabs from?” Her clueless answer: “I don’t follow crabs. The bay, maybe?”

Tim’s, get a clue. Train the young waif. She’s your first line of defense. The eating out experience is supposed to be enjoyable, not annoying. She should know what you’re serving. The answer from the less clueless, but nameless waitress: North Carolina.

Now, over the years, I’ve been to Tim’s with mixed results. This time, the results were, well, not positive.

There’s always a crowd at Tim’s. Some boat in, while others drive in on a windy, undeveloped road, a rarity in Prince William County. Tim’s hasn’t been overdeveloped like other areas of Dumfries, although development is coming closer and closer. For ambience, the outdoor seating and bars, live music and great boating scenery rate a 4 on a scale of 5.

There was a wait for outdoor seating, so we opted for a wonderful, riverfront window table inside. It would have been nice had it been wiped down. I thought it was just me, until I saw somebody else at another table lay down paper towels so he could put his hands on the table to avoid the stickiness. Tim’s, here’s a hint: Wipe the tables down. It will reduce the number of flies.

The crabs, I will admit, were fresh and seasoned decently. But they rate only a 2 on a scale of 5. First, it was early in the evening and the $40/dozen larges had already sold out. What the restaurant called mediums certainly didn’t look or feel medium, even for $36/dozen. I would have hated to see the regulars. The kitchen managed to drop one of the 12, so a full dozen didn’t make it to the table. Once all 12 did make it, we wondered out loud — what happened? Twelve crabs should come with 24 claws. OK, maybe a few less. Our count: 12 crabs, 4 claws.  A dozen crabs later and the two of us are still hungry. Sadly, going into the restaurant, we weren’t that hungry to begin with.

The waitress was honest enough to tell us about the dropped crab and to make sure crab No. 12 came out to us. She also kept the drinks coming, even if they were non-alcoholic.

From the looks of things, that’s why people were there – the drinks. It’s an enjoyable, relaxing setting, complete with tiki torches, American flags, plastic seating and a little sandy beach. One moment you can be watching a train roll by. The next you’re watching Tim’s pontoon boat shuttle people from their boats to the restaurant’s dock.

Ladies, if you’re not coming off a boat to the restaurant, make sure you’re wearing comfortable shoes. Tim’s literally is next to the train tracks. Get there too late and you will be walking the tracks to get from the backup parking lot to the restaurant.

If you head there, opt for the outdoor seating. It’s worth the wait. Inside, you can’t hear the live music, although you will get a kick out of the beachy scenes painted on the wood floors and the tin advertising signs on the ceiling. The location is the winner at Tim’s, not the crabs. I’m hopeful the next time we’re there that the food will surpass my now already low expectations.