Crab Bag
130th Street – Bayside
13005 Coastal Highway
Ocean City, Md. 21842
410-250-3337
Reviewed: June 13, 2009
Delivered in a paper bag right to the table, these crabs were so hot, we burned a couple of fingers getting the first couple open. These extra large crabs ($69/dozen) delivered on size. For once, the extra larges turned out to be extra large. On size alone, they rate a 4 on a scale of 5.
There seemed to be a little hesitation on the part of our server about the original home of the crabs, so I checked with another while on a bathroom break. The answer: North Carolina. Covered in spicy seasoning, these hefty crabs had the most seasoned crab eaters wiping the extra seasoning off their hands after eating a couple. Our dozen did have one bummer crab – light and watery. On taste, the crabs delivered almost a 4 on a scale of 5. You could tell they didn’t come from Chesapeake Bay, or they might have rated higher. Despite the fact it was June 13, I was told Crab Bag wasn’t getting Chesapeake Bay crabs yet. The outside sign would have led you to believe otherwise.
Service at the Crab Bag rates a 3. Perky and polite, Kate never told us the All-You-Can-Eat price ($19.99) but did immediately recommend the crabs by the dozen and the wings seasoned with Old Bay. For us, the recommendation paid off. The All-You-Can-Eaters seemed to be waiting a bit for their crabs, but their corn looked delicious. Also, I found it odd that the servers didn’t use trays to carry out the things that came with the AUCE. They stacked baskets of hush puppies on top of each other and carried them out to the tables. It just didn’t seem appetizing.
Previously, a tiny crab place, the Crab Bag has undergone a complete renovation. It now has two floors of inside seating, plus ground-floor- and second-floor outdoor seating. For ambience, we managed to get in early enough to snag seating outside on the second floor, overlooking Coastal Highway. Eleven picnic tables fit on the upper deck, but only 10 could be used. Every time somebody sat at the eleventh table, they’d move, probably because of winds and light rain. The place filled up quickly, and servers had to send people who walked up to the second floor from the highway side back downstairs to the waiting list.
Needless to say, Coastal Highway’s traffic would have been an amusing distraction, had it not been for the waiting list people and the wind – which kept trying to whip up the paper covering the picnic table. Good thing we got the extra larges. They seemed to hold everything in place. Hint: Dress for the crosswinds if you sit outside.
Rare as it is, we came home with a three crabs from the even dozen. I guess we shouldn’t chow down on wings and then expect to put away a dozen heavy crabs without a few extras.