By the Gastronomes

This column isn’t going to be quite like the “norm” in that we aren’t going to try to tell you about all that this waterside paradise on the South River near Annapolis has to offer and let me tell you, they have an amazing menu and everything, literally, that we saw being dropped off at the tables around us looked great. You definitely aren’t going to leave this place hungry!

We imagine those of you who are Maryland hard shell aficionados – and there are many in the area – are going to want to chime in after reading this, so we want to make it clear on just how we picked Mike’s. Neither of us had had hard shells this season and we have been trolling our crab picking pals social media pages for over a month trying to decide who ranked highest. In a piece the OTC published on “The Ten Best Crab Houses in Anne Arundel County” a few months ago, Mike’s was right there at the top and the majority of our trolling resulted in Mike’s getting many accolades – cue Tim and Leigh Long. We have had carbs at several amazing places over the last 30 years and can’t believe that we had never tried this place. That was another reason we decided it would be a great “pick”. That and the fact that it’s an easy drive from Old Town – Beltway onto Route 214, left on Riva Road and right into the parking lot. Cantler’s Riverside Inn on the other side of the Severn River is a favorite of ours but it’s an adventure getting there via asphalt so this was a pleasant surprise.

We were there on a beautiful Sunday afternoon so had anticipated maybe having to wait for a table outside (I’m not a fan of eating crabs inside since I think you need to be a little sweaty so you can rub your eyes and get Old Bay in them and the beer tastes colder). At first the parking lot looked full but as we started to make a loop, we found primo parking right up front and noticed lots of other spaces. This place is HUGE and after being seated immediately in an outdoor booth under cover and getting our order in, I walked around to discover a large dining room and equally as large bar, a tiki bar with a roof top on the water and another stretch of outdoor seating. That being said, you will probably get a seat unless something major is happening at the place.

We were there for the crabs so didn’t spend much time looking at the extensive menu. We had sourced prices at a few other places we thought about going to and they were all pretty much the same – per dozen – $40 for smalls, $60 for mediums, $120 for extra-large. We were on a mission and it was pretty close to my birthday so we went all out. We agree that it was well worth it.

After setting us up with the brown paper, knives, mallets, paper towels, Old Bay and vinegar, our server, Shane, took our order for two cold brews and a dozen extra-large! He is a very fun kid and to make sure we old people didn’t forget his name, he wrote it on the paper and drew us a little crab! The beer was cold and the crabs were killer good, big and heavy! We dove right in. We had considered ordering a side or two (no corn on the cob here though) but decided to see if we needed them after the crustaceans arrived. That answer was, no.

The other half, who was raised in Maryland and is a seasoned crab picker only managed four (that is probably because he actually digs out every spec of crab) and I ate five and no doubt left enough for crab soup in my discarded shells. To our surprise we still had four big daddies left to take home. I think our guy Shane tossed in an extra for my birthday. I have to say that they traveled well and I finished them off later that evening!!

After our crab feast, we made our way to the Tiki Bar where the live music was being set up and the rum was being poured – Mount Gay and ginger ale and Meyers and OJ fit the bill. We started making friends with our bartender Tracy and the people sitting around us since always fun to meet new people. As we were looking around, I noticed that almost every photograph on the walls surrounding the bar looked familiar. After taking a closer look, they were all taken by David Sites, an amateur photographer who lives near the bay, who has provided the OTC with several images including quite a few cover shots! It’s always good to make a connection with a place that we have never been to before.

Mike’s has other locations in the area – Mike’s Inland at Sunset in Glen Burnie and Mike’s Crab House North in Pasadena. We haven’t frequented either of them, but imagine they are good spots to check out as well.

We decided to wrap up the afternoon when the music man took a break and headed back to Virginia with our crabs in hand. It was an easy drive back considering it was Sunday and around the time beach goers were coming home. Make a plan to have an end of summer/beginning of fall crab fix. You might see us there.

Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House

3030 Riva Road

Riva, Maryland

410-956-2784

Mikescrabhouse.com