Obrycki's Crab House and Restaurant

If you’ve researched “Crabs” in Baltimore, you’re bound to have turned up results for the highly acclaimed, famous Obrycki’s restaurant on Pratt Street. Only open during warm months, this huge restaurant pays tribute to crabs and all that can be made with crabs with its large, page-turning menu of seafood dishes, appetizers, entrees, and non-seafood options. Recently opened for the season, Obrycki’s is already humming with busy customers who waited impatiently for its doors to bring in the crabs.

Obrycki’s is a Baltimore institution, first opening its doors to crabs and the public in 1944. Its multi-room restaurant is one of Baltimore’s largest, if not the largest, and caters to large parties. Reservations are often recommended, despite its large number of tables.

While much of Baltimore’s crabfests involve picnic tables covered in brown paper, sunny views (water views if you’re lucky) and a messy fun time had by all, Obrycki’s is actually much fancier than that. A rustic, sit-outside, throw-your-shells-on-the-floor kind of place it is not, though it does cover the tables with brown paper.

Its dimly lit interior with wood tables and curtains resembling that of a 1980s funeral home or old-school cabaret with pretend-windows lit up may not be quite the appetizing atmosphere to accompany your crab dining.

While Obrycki’s lacks in seaside atmosphere, it makes up in food selection. Crispy onion rings, Obrycki's savory crab soup, raw oysters, clams casino, fried calamari and a variety of salads make wonderful complements to crabs.

Its famous backfin crab cakes are a huge hit if you don't feel like picking crabmeat out yourself, and the chef will often pair a crabcake with other seafood delights, such as lobster tail, scallops, shrimp or flounder. If you're not a seafood lover and are simply accompanying friends who are, there's an option of steaks, sandwiches and burgers as well.

If you're racing out of town and don't have time to stop in for a leisurely crab feast, you have two other options. One is a quick stop into the scaled-down operation at BWI Airport, where you can get a taste before your flight. Another is a mail-order option: if you've missed the opportunity, you can order the famous backfin crabs, deviled crab balls, crab dip and Obrycki's special seasoning to enjoy at home.

- by Rin-rin Yu, Washington Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Rin-rin Yu

Rin-rin is an award-winning writer and journalist based in the Baltimore-Washington area. Her work has appeared in China Daily, DAYSPA magazine, Luxury Home Design, Aquatics International, Not For Tourists and other publications. Rin-rin has also worked for ABC News, WHDH-TV (NBC) in Boston and Hanley Wood Business Media. She has a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She is an avid world traveler and maintains a travel blog, www.mytravelhats.com.