Mike’s Bar & Crab House

OVERVIEW
Simple: beautiful view, fresh food, friendly service, and great prices.
Went on a busy Saturday with the family to celebrate an early Father’S Day. Helped ourselves to both their indoor and outdoor bar and thoroughly enjoyed their well-​blended drinks and other cocktails.
ORDER
When we were finally seated, we got: two dz of their large crabs (apparently not on the printed menu, but running at $ 75/​dz), two dz of their bluepoint oysters, dz cherrystone clams, fried oysters entrée, scallops entrée, and two bowls of clam chowder. Entrée came with two sides each: self-​served salad bar, coleslaw, French fries, or baked potato. Bill was shockingly low — only about $ 275! It was definitely worth more than that.
Oysters were plump and fresh; clams were refreshing and fresh; and crabs were succulent, cooked perfectly, and (guess what) super fresh! Scallops came golden on a bed of well seasoned rice and I didn’t try our fried oysters, but word on my table is that they were delicious. Chowder was hearty with that natural clam sweetness. None of that weak, watery sh*t!
SERVICE
Service was quick and all the servers, regardless of whether they were interacting with us directly, held smiles, despite a bustling restaurant. Our table’s server, Lexi/​Alexa, was efficient, polite, and friendly.
ATMOSPHERE
Don’t even get me started on that view!

I had fond memory of this restaurant from about 15 year ago, so I had great expectations when I recently visited the restaurant. They didn’t have corn on the cob. The hush puppies were terrible, the mussels had no seasoning, the fried calamari was bland, and the large crabs had little meat. We won’t be visiting again.

Great location on the South River, friendly service. Crabs are really good, so we take our out-​of-​town guests here if they’ve never cracked crabs. Wish the beer was cheaper!

We went here to get Maryland crabs for my husbands birthday. Overall we had a good experience. We were really hoping to sit outside to enjoy the view, but the wait was 45 minutes. We were too hungry so we ate inside.
They were limited on sizes so our only choice was medium-​sized crabs. We were pretty impressed that the medium-​sized crabs were still pretty meaty.
The onion rings were surprisingly delicious. Very crispy and fried perfectly.
French fries, fresh oysters, and crab cakes were okay.
The service was great. Our waiter was good about asking if we wanted a variety of condiments for our foods. They were also great about emptying our bucket of discarded crab shells.

Went to get some crabs and after waiting for 30 minutes, I noticed a sign that read «Sorry we are out of crabs». The host should have mentioned the fact that they were out of crabs when we asked for a table. My kids were hungry so we decided to stay even though we had specifically come here to get crabs. We got some king crab legs, but not the same. Had the clam chowder and tried the cream of crab, both were too thick. Clam chowder flavor was good, but the cream of crab didn’t have much flavor.

Memorial Day Weekend was very busy. Our wait was about 30 – 45 minutes before being seated. The soft shell crab was tasty. Their crabs come from La. … snow crab cluster was enough. Indoor and outdoor dining. Tiki-​style bar in the waiting section outside. Nicely tucked away in Annapolis. I had a great time with the company around me.

So, I’ve been going to Mike’s for years for either their crabs or snow crab legs. I really enjoy the scenery of the restaurant as it overlooks the water and offers outside seating on a nice day.
This last visit was just okay. My friend and I ordered Miami Vice frozen drinks (another friend ordered a margarita which she said was fine) without looking at the menu, and my server shook her head and took the order. She later came back with a frozen drink that was ON the menu, which was something other than the Miami Vice. It was the restaurant’s specially drink minus the one liquor that she said the restaurant bar did not carry. Okay, it would have been nice to know that before she just came back with the drink that we did not order.
I ordered the hush puppies (as I normally do), which were tasty! Also ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer, which was just okay. My friends ordered a crab cake sandwich, which one said was tasty, and the other ordered the coconut shrimp (which she also said was just ok), and I ordered the snow crab legs, which were pretty good this time. I’ve ordered them in the past and they tasted like they were microwaved, but I guess that’s what I get for ordering them on a non-​busy day.
I also ordered the red velvet cake, which was yummy! Overall, I think the restaurant needs to hire better communicating servers and ensure their snow crab legs are fresh when they hit the table, especially given how much they charge for them!

Very good food overall with a pretty classic crab shack setting. Its definitely a regional destination so prepare for waits or a packed house. But its worth it. Set yourself up for the crabs and beer, or try the scallops and fries (the fries or buttermilk rings are a good side).
Service can be unpredictable since its a bit responsive to the crowd.
If you’re on your way to or from Annapolis, or just in the area, try out this local food. It will definitely add to your experience in the area.

We want to like this place. We really do. We call ahead, make sure they have crabs, they assure us, yes, all day. We arrive an hour later to a «No crabs «sign. Why??? Why does a restaurant this large run out of crabs at 2pm? Why don’t they tell you before you travel an hour to get there that they probably won’t have them in an hour?
It’s happened twice. We will not go to Mike’s ever again. So disappointing. They know they are not going to have any crabs within the hour… the count is not rocket science.

Couldn’t even try cuz they told us to leave right away. What kind of crab place runs out of crab at 2 in the afternoon??! stupidddd. Don’t call yourself a crab house if you have no supply in the middle the day.

Basic Maryland Crab House. What’s not to like. Paper table cloths, hammers and tools of destruction to work on your crab and of course, good draft beer to wash it down. Don’t miss the bacon wrapped scallops as they are to die for. Why not a five? Just a little too touristy, but don’t let that keep you away. Hey you can even part your boat at their pier.

I can’t comment much on the food since I’m a vegetarian. But their pizza was decent and the fries were good (just wish they had garlic aioli or something to dip them in, but can’t complain too much). My boyfriend got a crab cake sandwich and steamed oysters for his appetizer. He said both were really good. So as far as seafood goes, I guess they’re really good.
What I’m mainly writing a review about is their service. The waitress, Julie, was pretty rude to us and was kind of slow bringing things out when we asked for something. We were there for a birthday party and I guess they don’t sing there because we asked her to and she said she can’t sing well. So she ended up never doing it. When we got our bill we indicated what items should go on two of the cards and then told her that she can split the rest on the other two credit cards and her response was, «what about the tax? You know that’s a part of life.» Ummm excuse me??? There are much better ways to ask how we want to split the tax and if we said we wanted a certain amount on two cards and the rest split on the other two, shouldn’t she keep her mouth shut and just split it among the other two? Even though Julie was slow with things, we weren’t upset with her until that statement. My friend and I were livid. Also, the place was getting ready to close soon so we were one of the last tables there. I have no clue what she was doing, but it took her at least 20 minutes to bring us our cards and receipts back. We ended up being the last people to leave and there were other workers already putting chairs up. We didn’t want to tip her well because of her bad service, but we ended up still giving 20%. We found out after leaving that she already included tip on the bill because we had a party larger than 6. So a horrible waitress got a pretty good tip from us. The next day, my friend called to tell the manager about her experience with Julie and the manager’s response was basically, «oh well.»
Management, please learn how to train your staff (namely Julie) properly and teach them customer service.

Right on the water. It’s beautiful on a nice day. We had to wait an hour. I had the fish filet sandwich. The real star was the crab and seagoos combinations. We had a good time.

I hate travel to this area because of the horrid traffic, but I am looking forward to my next visit just so I can dine here. I had the broiled rockfish which just came in season and it may have been the best fish I have ever had. The salad bar is fantastic and a great way to avoid the fries, which are also great.
The service was excellent and the atmosphere great. Mike’s is right on the water and offers a great feel for a seafood restaurant. My colleagues FIENDED on the crab which also just came in season.
The restaurant is casual and offers lots of seating for groups of just about any size. There was a party of 20 or so next to us and the servers had no trouble accommodating them and keeping them happy. Despite the crowd it never seemed too noisy.
I am looking forward to my next visit.

I used to love picking crabs there on sunny days… nothing compares to Mike’s…great food… great drinks… great Servers… great prices!
Thanks!

We chose Mike’s based on its proximity to our highway location, Unilocal review, weather, and outdoor seating. We expected a typical waterside seafood joint, and it delivered. It was nothing fabulous, but on point & exactly what we wanted. The place was also pretty crowded for 2pm on a Friday afternoon.
We sat outside on a perfect 80 degree day, and the Vitamin D was what we needed. Can’t be waterfront! We shared mushroom caps stuffed with crab imperial (tasty), and I ate a grilled tuna salad (good enough). Husband liked his bacon cheeseburger. Beer selection was not great, but it had two local IPAs I had never tried & really liked.
Service was OK. Drinks sat empty & we had to wait for the check longer than I’d have liked. That said, being outside at a typical waterside seafood joint made up for it. If that’s what you’re looking for, i’d highly recommend!

This place was really good! My friends and I went here based off a suggestion from a friend. We went specifically for Maryland crab as we were driving back home to NYC. The stop was so worth it. We ordered a dozen crabs and we were all full from it. The crab were large and succulent. They were perfectly steamed and very meaty. They didn’t over do it with the old bay and they brought out some vinegar which I never had with crab before. I didn’t think vinegar would be a good combination with the crab, but when We tried it we all actually liked it. We also tried the cream of crab soup and everyone enjoyed it. The soup was creamy and has nice size chunks of crab in it. Our bill was less than $ 100 for the three of us including drinks and the soup. Definitely a good and affordable place to go for some Maryland crabs. If and when I’m in the area again I will be visiting this restaurant again.

I still just do not understand what all the hype is about this place. The steamed crabs are crazy over overpriced and their food is mediocre. When I first went here for lunch, I ordered fish and chips because there seemed to be hardly anything else on the menu I would dare try so early in the day. The fish was falling apart as I cut into it which indicated it was frozen previously. Cod, ok. I just wanted to dip it in the tartar sauce. Their french fries are pretty tasty though. I blamed my friend because she so badly wanted to come here. She went with the crab pretzel and was happy with it until she realized when she ordered the honey mustard dipping sauce it was $ 4. She didn’t eat it because she didn’t like it.
The second time I went with the Seafood Imperial and Clams Casino. If I would have only ate the Clams Casino it would have been the best experience there so far. I do not know why I went with the seafood Imperial. Possibly because I was hoping that being at a seafood restaurant it would take a whole lot better than what I’ve dared before at buffets lol. No, not really. I did not voice my opinion because I did not want to complain. After speaking to some of the ladies, they also where not pleased with their dishes and said a lot of their dishes lacked flavor. This again was not my choice to go but most others wanted to come here so I played along. I do not think I will be going back and if it is suggested again I will highly object

Business lunch sitting on the water. We can stop here. 5 stars for the view.
There were 9 of us and it was a sunny day. Service wasn’t slow and it wasn’t fast.
We started with wings ($ 8.50) and bacon wrapped shrimp ($ 10). Shrimp was served on rice. I had ice tea which was constantly refilled by our young server.
I had a cup of cream of crab soup ($ 5) which was tasty. Not the best I ever had, but still yummy. I ordered the crab cake sandwich which came with fries and I was sharing with someone who ordered the shrimp salad sandwich. The crab cake was good. Not a lot of filler ($ 11). The shrimp salad was something to write home about! First, lots of shrimp. I was expecting little petite shrimp but these were not the baby shrimp that get thrown on a salad. These were the size of small shrimp in a chinese stir fry! For $ 8.25 it was plentiful and perfectly seasoned with mayo and celery.
Let me describe this shrimp salad by asking… have you ever walked away saying that the shrimp was better than the crab cake? Me neither… until today. I can’t wait to go back just for that sandwich!
We also had the Jamaican Jerk chicken sandwich ($ 9.50), Fried Flounder ($ 10.50), Salmon Caesar ($ 14).
I could have sat there all afternoon with a frozen tropical drink and pretended that I was on a private beach.
View: 5 stars
Ambiance: 4.5 stars
Service: 4.5 stars
Food: 4.25 stars — Shrimp Salad 5 stars

Mike’s is now my go-​to for Maryland crab… although I don’t think the crab here is actually from Maryland. In fact, I was here one time where I read they sourced the crab from Louisiana and Galveston, TX. Well… that aside, the crab here is pretty darn tasty, the service always friendly, and where else can you snag a table out on the dock, down an couple of Nattie Boh’s and dig into a plate full of delicious crab seasoned with none other than heaping spoonfuls of Old Bay?
We usually go here for lunch on the weekend, and the wait around lunchtime for an outside table is always at least 45 min to an hour (so plan accordingly). If you go here on a sunny summer Maryland day, and elect to sit inside, especially with views of the beautiful river, boats, etc. then you are not invited to eat with me :)
Now, when you order, do as the romans do and order a huge plate, maybe a dozen or so LARGE crabs. In fact, sometimes they have JUMBO, which is a bit more expensive ($ 125 for a dozen maybe), regardless, make sure you order the LARGE crabs (usually $ 80 per dozen), and do not get the medium ones, as they are not nearly as tasty, and you will put forth a ton of effort breaking them open for not much ROI. Don’t be stupid, and just pay the extra money for the LARGE or JUMBO and you will not be disappointed. Traditionally they will serve the crab with a bowl of Old Bay seasoning. Break open your crab, dip the meat in the seasoning and enjoy!
Mike’s Crabhouse is an institution and one of my favorite spots to sit out by the water, enjoy a beer, and crack open Maryland-​style blue crab all afternoon.