EXPENSIVE but delicious crabs. So expensive. So delicious. So crabby. This is what I imagined eating crab in Baltimore would be like, but I am certain there are more affordable places elsewhere. Still, a good experience, and very close to where I live. My only other complaint is that there doesn't seem to be anyone who knows what the sizes of the crabs mean. Our waiter had trouble explaining the difference between a medium and large sized crab (obviously one is bigger), and whether that would be enough for one person. A little more guidance on our crab feast adventure would have been awesome. If you are looking for a meal to fill you up, just expect to drop around $20 here, or buy a cheap meal after your crab dinner. read more

in from pittsburgh for a night, we just wanted crabs and cheap beer after a day at the aquarium & exploring baltimore. after looking all on yelp for places all over the city while drinking at ale mary's, we ended up getting too buzzed to drive anywhere and "settled" on riptide by the bay since it was close to our hotel. good thing - it was exactly what we wanted. 7 natty bohs and 24 crabs for $45?! this place was amazing!!! i almost want to take one star off for our waitress' bored attitude, but she kept us full on beers and crabs -- so, i can't hate too much. plus, we ate on the breezeway and made friends with a dog named sherman. outdoor eating AND dog-friendly? total plus in my book!! i'll definitely be back next time i'm in town and will probably still smell like old bay by the time i make it back months from now. read more

Riptide By The Bay - old bay! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The prices are high and the portions are small. Food was okay, but after $72 dollars my party and I left still hungry. Also forgot to mention their bottles of wine are ridiculously overpriced. read more

This is my husband's very favorite place to eat. He orders a half dozen crabs, and I watch him deconstruct and devour every bite of goodness. I love their huge cocktail menu. Last time, I had a spicy watermelon margarita that was sooo good. They also have a smoked tomato soup that's super delish. The servers here are super cool. I think they make the place even more awesome. It seems like they are all having a good time. I highly recommend this place for crabs and cocktails! read more

My friends and I had been to Thames Street Oyster House and were intending on returning there but they were closed at 3:00 on a Saturday. We ended up at Rip Tide by chance and am glad we did. We were told they had tables reserved but we assured them we would be quick (as long as they were) and were seated. Typical row house restaurant style, but cool atmosphere for us out of towners. Everything we ate was good. Oysters were delicious and a high light. Seafood chowder was preferred over the lobster bisque. Crab cakes were excellent, Baltimore style...a lot of crab hardly any filler. We saw tables being brought trays of crab but were not in the mood to sit around pounding away so did not partake. No complaints with service. All in all a good spot. read more

I hate to give bad reviews but this place was TERRIBLE. It was packed when we went inside and there was a 45 minute wait on a Saturday night.. which is totally understandable. And we had a group of 6 people. So we sat in the semi-outside area because there was no wait- it was also 45 degrees out. There were heat lamps above the table so we figured wed be fine. Only one lamp worked and it was on LOW. Long story short. Our waitress waited 25-30 minutes before taking our order-food took 40 minutes to come out. They ran out of chowder and offered us crab bisque instead. I figured its Maryland I should try something with crab. --- It was barely WARM and I could have saved myself the 13 dollars a bowl of crab bisque cost and ate a dollar can of Campbell's soup. Oh and then returning to ask us if our food was okay when everyone was DONE EATING- our waitress adds the 20% tip on ( for parties of 10 people or more... we were 6, 6 is not equal to 10) so she's GUARANTEED A TIP! really thats WEAK AF. Listen Ive been a waitress too for many years. I know you gotta hustle and its easy to get " in the weeds" on a weekend. But come on. You only should get a tip WHEN YOU WORK FOR IT. This place dissapointed me. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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We had just got into town and wanted some good seafood. We were not disappointed! Their fish and chips were delicious. The breading on the fish was thin, not the thick breading that over powers the fish. The chips were good as well and seasoned. I got the deviled eggs which were good but I felt over priced for the amount I got. They have lump crab meat which is awesome but there are only 4 and I feel the price was a little high for that. read more

Laid back, no frills... The concierge at my hotel recommended this place for its carb cakes. In my opinion, they left a lot to desired. Service was ok. Glad I came but more than likely I won't be back. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I found this restaurant on Open Table and was attracted by the menu options and prices. I went for lunch and took friends from out of town, eager to try Maryland seafood. This restaurant did NOT disappoint! We started with the calamari and seafood chowder which were both delicious. The calamari was perfectly cooked. I only wish the delicious ginger sauce was served on the side instead of being poured over the calamari. I ordered the crab macaroni and cheese which was amazing! I was also able to try the grilled mahi mahi tacos and the crab cakes which were both delicious. The waitstaff was kind and helpful. I have no complaints and I will definitely be back. read more

Took my in-laws here while they were visiting over Christmas break. My MIL, who eats very clean, 99% organic and always super fresh food was very impressed. We got the crab dip, which was AMAZING! I had a side caesar salad that was very crisp and you could tell all the ingredients were fresh. The dressing was a little bit mild compared to what I'm used to, but it was very good. My husband ordered a burger, which I had a bite of and it was delicious. I got the Mahi fish tacos which were very tasty and the green salsa they serve with it is freaking awesome. Even the kids meal that my daughter had was great. My MIL had a brussel sprout salad that she raved about. I rarely hear her rave about food while eating out. :0) The experience was overall wonderful. The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was good, and the food was excellent. My husband and I will definitely be visiting quite frequently and my in-laws said they have added it to their list of restaurants to go to while in Maryland. read more

What a charming place! We went barhopping around Fells for my cousin's birthday and Riptide happened to be the last place we stopped at. The place wasn't too packed and we were able to grab a couple of tables outside. (I love looking out into the moonlit water while my friends entertain each other with various shenanigans.) There was a live accoustic singer doing covers of... well, to be honest, I can't remember because he was not memorable at all. Aside from the singer, the bar manager was a really cool guy who came out to wish my cousin a happy birthday. read more

While in Baltimore, my wife wanted to eat crabs and go to Fells Point. Well we found the perfect place. We had a great meal that started with drinks and tasty apps. Then came the crabs! We got the large ones and had more than we could handle. We will be back the next time we are in town. read more

Merp. This was an alright place to eat. I thought the service and food were meh and that the prices were a little too much given the quality. I came here with my friends and we got a smattering of entrees. I got the crab soup and reluctantly added baguettes (ended up to be 4 slices) for $2 (that'd be 4 Jimmy John's day old breads, and not even as tasty!) The soup was pretty good but not enough to justify the price. I also felt like the waitress was kind of rushing us out towards the end, never a good feeling. I probably won't be back - just an OK place. read more

Riptide By the Bay has a great location in the heart of Fells. Unfortunately, the food and the service don't measure up to the atmosphere. A group of us came here for brunch, and nearly all of our orders were incorrect in some form or fashion. You can definitely find better spots in the area! read more

Ripped at the Rip Tide! Went to Fells Point last night Friday evening started In the bar eventually moved to an outside table. Enjoyed cigars, food and friendship there. Always a great time though we were looking for Mike how we the bartender and server were outstanding! Thanks Rip Tide for another great night read more

Yes, we had to wait but it was well worth it! The service and food were exceptional and this has become a favorite spot when in Baltimore. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I feel a little guilty reviewing this place, because all I did was have a cocktail there. Super late at night. On Christmas. Yes, there are people who go to bars on Christmas. Some of us have sisters who turned 30 last Christmas, and what are we supposed to do? Sit around a roaring fire all night? There are good rumors about Riptide's excellent seafood, but in the late hours the place basically becomes a club: neon lights, drunk patrons, super-loud thumping music. Not my favorite, but it was at least classier than the place we had just come from! (Okay, you caught me. I might have been in TWO bars on Christmas. Jeez.) My Jameson & Ginger was great, not that you asked, and I promise I'll update this when I actually have something to eat there! read more

Showed they were open. We got here and the place was closed down. I wasted gas and money to get here.

Okay, our waiter was awesome. He even got us plates and silverware for a birthday cake I brought in with me. The live entertainment sang and played with us for "Happy Birthday". That was cool. On a Tuesday, crabs in any side other than small had run out by about 8 in the evening. The birthday girl had called ahead, but still no dice there. I wasn't impressed by the pricing on the crabs, even on a day with specials. The rest of the food was so-so. I ordered the goat cheese pizza (since I am such a sucker for chevre) but it wasn't memorable. I ate less than half, took the rest home and ended up throwing it out because I wasn't enthusiastic. Beer (on tap) was okay, not extensive. It's a great location, and an outlet for seafood if you're jonesing for it, but I can't muster up a wholly positive opinion. read more

This is an interesting little place in Fells Point, but I don't think it was my favorite experience I had. Came in on a busy Saturday and put our name in for a table. They will text you to let you know when to come back which is awesome. We were able to go grab a drink elsewhere while waiting. We were seated in the little alleyway they kind of converted for the restaurant into part of the restaurant. It was a little hot, but they did have fans to try and make it better. I ordered a blueberry mint cocktail of sorts that was just okay - it just tasted like blueberry vodka which is not my thing so my husband ended up drinking it. We chose mahi mahi tacos and snow crab (they were out of Maryland crabs early that day I guess). Our snow crab was served to another table, so it took a bit to get that after my husband's dish came out. He was done with the tacos, which were quite good but nothing too memorable, before my meal came. I mean it sucks, but it happens I suppose. It took awhile to get the food anyway, and I was beyond hungry by the time it came. The snow crab was fine. I mean, it's snow crab. Tasted the same as crab you've had anywhere else. I felt like it was a little pricey for what it was as it didn't come with anything at all. The place was good. Not great. Not bad. But I'm not sure we'd be running back. read more

Super awesome place, small and quaint. Very nice menu selections, outstanding beers on tap, great wine list. Had the raw oysters and crab cake sliders for lunch, was fantastic. The bar area is super neat and great place to hang and have a few and also enjoy lunch/dinner. Great views out the window onto the historic square area. Would definitely recommend and plan to go again when back in Baltimore. read more

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One of my favourite places to happily pound my troubles away whilst feasting on delicious seafood. I could eat crabs and butter and oysters forever for the rest of my life. So this place wins for those. Steamed or fresh seafood is pretty much always a hit here. So, why so cruel Bernie? Why so cruel to three star the restaurant that serves you seafood? Well, I've been here many times, and we've never really had any dishes that were truly downright disappointing. Still, not all of them have been spectacular, and though most hit at least moderately good, the menu can be hit or miss, not just by item, but also by day. read more

So we ended up here after leaving Thames Oyster house and we were so upset we didn't just come here first! The atmosphere was so laid back and the staff was awesome! We started off by ordering the crab dip... Which was terrible! There was not one hint of actual crab in the dip. Instead it was pure cream cheese and obay seasoning. I have never had a crab dip this bad. However - they redeemed themselves with the scallops over lobster risotto that my wife ordered - it was soooo good. I ordered a burger with bacon & smoked gouda cheese which was pretty damn good. I'd say between the staff and actual entree, I'll be coming back if in Baltimore. However, I will stay far away from that crab dip! read more

Wonderful service! Excellent drink options we came in around 5pm on a Friday, sat anywhere we want and I love this place! We will be back for their White peach Sangria! The food looked amazing, we only ordered a Maryland Crab Dip Appetizer which was too creamy and heavy for my liking, the shallots a bit overbearing but drinks were wonderful and strong! Cute place they have outside and inside seating and four bathrooms! The bar area is where I would sit next time, looked so fun, music was really good and not too loud just great vibes all around. read more

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Made a reservation a few weeks before because we were a large group. We sat upstairs in the dining room which where every table was full and it was loud, but I felt like not too loud or full that it distracted from the experience. Everything everyone ordered was delicious!! A number of people got the crab cakes, and while they weren't lump, they were backfin, but had a good different kind of spice to them. I got the scallops and lobster risotto and cleaned my plate! It looks so unassuming from the outside but inside it was cute, and full of good food! We'll definitely be back. read more

The place is kind of divey, typical bars and restaurants in harbor cities. I was there at 4PM where most restaurants are close till dinner at 5 PM. I was hungry and there was not a lot of options available in the area who will let you eat any hours in a day. I chose this restaurant because of its convenience. It's located across from a hotel and the harbor. I ordered crab bisque.. which was just ok, not a lot of flavor. Chimchurri fish tacos, comes with a lot of lettuce, a piece of grilled fish that was kind of dry. My friend ordered fish and chips that was ok too nothing to write home about. The crab sliders is simple but good enough, it comes with three small patties in a bun which can be quite filling. Overall it was an ok experience because the service was fast and the place was quite empty. Parking is paid street parking, it's good to walk around the area when the weather is nice and plenty of places to stop by and drink. Overall it's a touristy kind of place. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Inside - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Very nice place to walk in and get some good seafood. The place is not with so much room in it. Avery narrow place. However the place keeps folks coming in as fast as they go out. We went for late lunch / early dinner and it was pretty quiet. but something tells me it can get pretty noisy when it is crowded. The décor is of a fishing place as I would expect from a seafood establishment. For Appetizer we shared Miso-Ginger Glazed Calamari (spicy)Buttermilk battered calamari tossed in a miso-ginger glaze. This was very good. Cooked nearly to perfection. The gaze had a spicy sweet taste that was not over powering of the calamari. My wife had the PAN SEARED SCALLOPS Three U-10 scallops seared to perfection and served over a fresh lobster risotto made from our homemade seafood broth. She loved it. And I can say I finally tried a scallop. It was actually pretty good. The lobster risotto was pretty good to me. My wife whom is a hard critic even enjoyed it very much. She thought 3 would not be enough so also had a crab cake with it. That was good as well. But it turned out the scallop dinner would had been plenty. I enjoyed the GRILLED MAHI MAHI Served with a pearled couscous adorned with golden raisins, roma tomatoes, cilantro & a squeeze of lime juice. The mahi was prepared excellent. What looked like a small piece of meat on the plate. It was actually more than enough for me. I was not a fan of the couscous. Would have enjoyed the meal better had I gotten plain veggies with it. I had a piece of corn on cob with mines and that was very good. The waiter was very good, and attentive and not over bearing. he suggested a Peach margarita and turned out wife ended up drinking two of them. For the non drinker. leave the ginger ale alone. Was very flat. water was a better choice. The price was about what you would pay for a NY dinner and very worth it. Worth the trip for seafood. Thanks yelp for the reviews for why I picked this place to take my wife. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Came on a Thursday night. Seated in the back, and experienced very slow service. 20 minutes for the server to come by, with 15-20 minutes in between visits to check on us. We tried the ahi tuna, salad with crab cake, fish tacos, and sweet potato fries. The $1 oyster special is a good deal, but overall we weren't impressed with the food - especially for the price. Fries were limp, crab cake wasn't terribly meaty, fish tacos were just okay. We might be back when crabs are in season, but there are too many other spots to try to warrant another visit any time soon. read more

On a Saturday night it wasn't too crowded. Nice back room with tables, good for a party/group. Drink prices are high though. Over $8 for flying dog bottle. read more

Well, the short of it is, the beer is good. The Organic Pumpkin Ale was really good. My boys October Fest whatever, also good! Now on to the rest of the dinner. We went early (around 7:30) and the place was not busy. That being said, our waiter was not great. Seriously, walked by our table multiple times while our beer glasses sat very empty and sad looking. The food, was on the same page. Pat liked his burger, but my calamari rings were not so great. I'm no big calamari expert, but it was mostly deep fried breading and not much else. I ate about 5-10 before calling it quits. I'd come here to sit at the bar since the beer is good, but I'd skip out on the food. read more

At lunchtime the crab cakes come as some sort of sandwich only. Service is friendly, atmosphere is more of a bar style. The main bar is at the front as you enter. Have a wide selection of seasonal cocktails which can take the sea chill off your bones! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Service is friendly, atmosphere is more of a bar style. The main bar is at the front as you enter. - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Very good crab cakes with hand cut fries. Watched college football at the bar. Nice sun filled front bar. Outside service. Good view of the water. Since we were watching football we thought we'd have to leave once the guitar player/singer started performing. He was so good we stayed and watched the game muted. Wish I had gotten his name. Great bartender. I should have asked his name too. Said he was from Maryland and will never leave. Wore his hair in a bun. Was so calm even though a swarm of drunk and demanding customers flooded the place for a bit. Highly recommend Riptide. read more

3.5. So close to a 4, but no cigar. Coming from California, we were meandering around the heart of Baltimore and what do you get when you're in Maryland? Blue crabs, of course! The whole dining concept is like Boiling Crab with the paper covered tables, except your crabs are dumped right in the middle of the table for your party to go hog wild. I felt embarrassed when I had no idea how to properly crack open a blue crab with the wooden mallet and knife. The server was kind enough to not make fun of a noob from the west coast like me and gave me a demonstration. Back home, I'm used to using metal nutcrackers for my dungeness crabs. Very flavorful with the dry rub smothered all over each crab. A bit too salty for me, which got me severely parched after a few crabs. Great little joint. Very comfy, clean, and a fun experience. read more

Great drinks, great food & great service. Stopped in one night during happy hour for a couple cocktails & tacos. The (chicken) tacos were pretty good & the two drinks I had were bad either. Can't recall the exact names but one was the passion punch & the other was grapefruit. Our waiter was awesome & I'd most definitely return. read more

This is a great example of a Baltimore bar. The set up is cozy, with a great view of the water, and the brick walls/exposed ventilation give it a nice industrial feel. The servers and bartenders bend over backwards to ensure prompt service when it's slow, and work hard to minimize wait times for you when it's busy. Come here for the seafood when it's in season, and the sandwiches any other time. The brioche rolls they use for their burgers should be the standard at other restaurants in Fells. read more

This place opened up shortly before I moved out of the area. I went once or twice, and enjoyed myself...but never felt really compelled to go back. There was nothing wrong with it. If anything, it felt like a slight step up from your usual Fells type of establishments. But it just didn't wow me either. And there's a lot of good food in Baltimore. And a lot of good bars too. If I was ever in Fells for a weekend, I might stop in here. But if I was only in town for a night, there's other places I'd rather go. read more

This is a nice place, I havent had the food but I have had an alcoholic beverage and its really good ..and it is really charming . read more

Riptide By The Bay - A place worth going to! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Started out with med raw oysters and was hoping to try some Maryland crab but out of season and had to settle for Alaskan King Crab legs, which was fine...both were excellent! I couldn't get enough of the succulent crab...wanted a side but was told they were out of baked potato and corn on the cob...a little disappointing...settled for some steamed asparagus...small restaurant seating area...the bar is a bit close to the dining area downstairs and it got a bit loud but I was not bothered much by it... was expected as there are many bars in the surrounding neighborhood...will be back to get a taste of Maryland crab when they are back in season read more

Riptide By The Bay - Alaskan king crab - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Stopped by here last Saturday night. Was able to get an outside table on the sidewalk, which is a nice touch and brings "atmosphere" to the place. The waitress was outstanding and patient. She gave a pretty good explanation of how to clean and eat a crab, which is pretty good for the uninitiated. We had their crab dip and crab sliders for appetizers. Both were very nice. We then shared an order of medium sized crabs. The crabs were cooked very well, but I felt they could have been seasoned a little better. Nice place and I would stop there again. read more

This place is really nice. I like the ambiance, I also like the food. We got the crab mac & cheese and the crabcake sandwich. I loved the crabcake sandwich, just the perfect amount of salty goodness! The crab mac & cheese was okay... maybe I had higher expectations because of all the praise I hear about it. I liked it, what's not to like about cheesy crab and macaroni. I just LOVED the crabcake. read more