Stumbled upon this place as our 2nd choice. Typical Baltimore row house converted to a restaurant. The hostess was very pleasant and seated us after a short wait. My boyfriend and I ordered bacon wrapped wonton shrimp as an appetizer. It was average. I wanted to order the Alaskan crab legs, but was told they were all out of crabs. It's SATURDAY afternoon!!! Ok, so we both ordered crabcakes. Soon after our appetizer came, I saw an order of Alaskan crab legs go by!!! Maybe they ran out just BEFORE we were seated. Smh The crabcakes were just ok too. They were messier (kind of wet) than we thought. Pretty good chance we won't ever go back. read more

Riptide By The Bay - White peach sangria - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

My mom was at a convention in Baltimore and I joined her for the weekend. We wanted to get blue crab because that's what Baltimore is known for, so we went to Riptide by the Bay as it was one of the higher rated on yelp. We arrived around 6:30 and were seated immediately. They have converted an alleyway into a nice and quaint dining area. We asked about the blue crabs, and they told us that they only had the $70/dozen option. It was my birthday weekend, so my mom just said, "let's go for that". The waitress didn't even mention that we could get a half-dozen (I mean, between the 2 of us, she should've definitely realized that a dozen might be too much) and we realized, belatedly, that we could've had that option. Points down for that. A dozen was a LOT. We each went through 4 crabs before calling it quits and just saving the rest for leftovers. The spice mix was awesome but after 3 crabs, it was getting old. I got a number of cuts on my hands from taking the crab apart (sharp, sharp places) but overall a good experience. Mom had eaten crabs at several places already, but she said that Riptide had the best crabs of the lot. Solid 4. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Blue crab! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Me and my boyfriend came here with high hopes, but we left disappointed. We ordered a dozen oysters and they were ALL sandy. The rest of the food we ordered was mediocre, but the oysters turned us off so much it was hard to enjoy the rest of the meal. While their service was by far my favorite part of the restaurant and we always tip 20% anyways it's a bit odd to see an automatic tip of 20% on a receipt for a party of only 2. read more

We came in here after eating a full sushi meal because my fatass saw the $1 oyster sign and had to get my oyster fill. The oysters were pretty small and shucked poorly, but I can't complain because they were only a dollar. However, I've been to places with $1 oysters and they do a much better job than here. The oyster shooters were pretty decent though, because your girl loves alcohol! They have pretty good deals based on what day it is, and the bartender was friendly. I wouldn't say don't give this place a try, but I probably won't be back here unless it's to drink. read more

Worst service I have ever had. I literally never write a review but as I sit here waiting to cash out, I can't help to kill more time since its been over an hour of never being checked on. Disappointed in you riptide. read more

Terrible service. Our server was high and messed up with our order. Bathrooms were filthy. Will never come back.

Came in with some friends for the Wednesday $6 build your own burger deal. Before my friends arrived, I sat at the bar and had some drinks-service at the bar was great, bartenders were fantastic. Things changed a bit when we went up to the restaurant area. Took them a long time to get the burger menus, even though that was the daily special. Toppings were pricey, especially considering what other places right on the same block charge for their build your own burger toppings. They were also out of a lot of add ons (like tater tots and some of the sauces). The burger was pretty small. Overall, I'd describe this place as "adequate." I'd return to the bar, but probably wouldn't get food. There are better burgers on this block. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Build your own burger with avocado and fried egg - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

Nice setting outside and decent food, but tables were not cleaned automatically just cleared of dirty dishes but not cleaned or wiped down. We were a table of 4, we were not provided utensils until we were almost done with the meal and when they did arrive they only provided 3 sets. They also didn't offer condiments (like ketchup for fries) or come check during the meal. To be fair, it seems like they were too busy to provide decent service aka not enough staffing. No one greets you at the door or entrance, they tell you to seat yourself and a waiter will check in. The waiter was nice enough and got our orders right, but as per above, once the food comes it's seems the service almost stopped. Given that we were coming off of the family friendly Pirate cruise, it seems they would be slightly more accommodating in the area although it is a bar crawl area at night to give them the benefit of the doubt, during the day; they should expect some families. Hoping they recover better from COVID because I have been here pre-COVID and the food is great and didn't have these issues. read more

I have to say I was really disappointed with this location.. we ordered the Calamari, Snow Crab legs, Crab dip and Crab Burger.. Calamari- was ok at best not the really anything to make me want to come back to it... Snow Crab Legs - Kinda pricey for the size and came out cold. Crab Dip - this was the best thing they presented it was really good Maryland crab burger- The pattie was not freshly made. taste and looks like the frozen patties that you purchase from the frozen food section of your supermarket. . read more

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

Ordered food and drinks from the bar. The food came without any condiments (Fish and Chips). Bartender never asked if I needed anything after my meal was brought out. He had several friends at the bar at the time and seemed more interested in setting up things to do with them after he got off. Poor customer service... read more

Food was great and friendly staff. HOWEVER, our bar/food bill had a 20% tip already included. On the bottom of the check were "add a tip" options ranging from 10-30%. This was on top of the 20% that was already added in and after tax. It would have pushed our $109 bill (tip included) to $126 and we might have paid it, if we had a few more drinks and not checked closely. Complete BS. BE CAREFUL! read more

This place is more like a 3.5, but not quite a 4. We were in Maryland and I needed a crab fix. We stumbled into Riptide as we strolled along Thames Street in Fells Point. We were there on a relatively quiet night and the waitress was great. We got a dozen of the maryland blue crabs to share. The crabs came piping ot and dumped in the middle of our table. We originally wanted the medium sized ones, but they didn't have it that night, so we got the small mediums. To our surprise, the crabs were pretty big. The crabs were good, but it could do with less of the old bay seasoning, but my husband thought it was good with the old bay. So I guess it's a matter of taste. I somehow wish they could bring out the crabs half-a-dozen at a time. Since it is pretty time consuming to pick at crabs, by the time we got to our last one, it was cold. Burgers start at $5 on Wednesdays and includes cheese and hand-cut fries. So we ordered a burger to share in addition to our crabs. The burger was good, but a bit greasy. The fries on the other hand were great! I would go back just for the fries. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Wednesday Night-Burger - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

The Riptide is one of my favorite places in Fells Point, the food is so good that we came back here twice for dinner. Our first dinner here was inspired by the whole Maryland Blue Crab experience. I wanted to go to a nice place where I could crack crabs and drink cocktails. That's all I ever want honestly. We ordered up a 1/2 dozen of the large crabs, because small ones are too time consuming. We got a tutorial on the easiest way to rip them apart and we were off! They were SO GOOD. We also ordered a half dozen oysters. No sides, just seafood. That night I ordered a spicy strawberry margarita which was a little too sweet. My guy went with the UFO Hefeweizen, which is a good choice with that spiced up crab. The second time we came here for dinner, they were out of the blue crab but had a special of 1 pound of Snow Crab for $25 and the Maryland Crab Bisque. I really want to make that one at home. They had a margarita special that night for $5, so I decided to try that and ask them to throw in some jalapeños. The bartenders were pretty nice and accommodating with our order and requests. I know I'll be thinking about this place for a long time. Hopefully I will find myself back! read more

See all

Pretty chill place to come have a drink. My coworker and I stopped here to have a drink while we waited for a table next door at Thames. Service was good and we got a shot with the cook since the kitchen was closed. Everyone was really chill. I ordered two shots of oyster shooters and man were they big. I didn't get to see the dining area but the place looked a bit bigger. The bar is there as soon as you walk in and then I think up a couple steps is the dining area. Very convenient location. read more

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

See all

I had a reservation for 16 people to celebrate my husband and my birthday's. When we got to the restaurant I was informed their kitchen was closed and they were only serving 6 items. In addition we had to sit outside but they couldn't fit all of us. When I made the reservation I spoke to Nick, the General Manager, he added it to Open Table and told me everything would be good.... WOW that was soooo wrong. Thank goodness for The Point who set up tables to accommodate 16 guest. They were awesome! Skip going to Riptide, they are the worst. read more

This was my first time at Riptide By The Bay. I frequent Fells Point often but had never ventured inside this restaurant. My girlfriend and I pooped in for a late afternoon lunch and a drink and had a great experience. I got the Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad and my girlfriend got the MD Crab Soup bowl. The salad was good but I wish it had a little more chicken and slightly more dressing; other than that it tasted really good. The bowl of crab soup was great! While it is a cream based version, it tasted really good compared to other nearby restaurants. Look forward to coming back! read more

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

See all

The food was surprisingly very good, which is why I am giving this 2 stars instead of 1. Other than that, the service was incredibly slow. The entrees came out before any appetizers. People ordering drinks at the bar received their drinks 20 minutes before we did after ordering from our table. I cannot stress how slow the service was. Will not come back again. read more

Honestly for a seafood restaurant I was surprised they didn't have shrimp and grits. Overall it's a fun place. Very noisy though but kool.

I can only review what I had here at Riptide so my rating only speaks to that experience. As you can see by the pics below, they are in a prime location by the bay. They specialize in seafood amongst other dishes but this day, we were in need of some seafood. We had reservations, so, of course we were seated immediately. It seemed this place does really good volume because the bar was stacked and the staff was in great number. We ordered our drinks(it came out immediately) and then awaited our appetizer. We ordered 6 Maryland blue crabs along with the Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Served with roasted potatoes, pan fried artichokes hearts, baby carrots, green beans, trumpet mushrooms, red Swiss chard & lemon-dill butter. My wife ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, Pan seared & served over homemade potato gnocchi with maitake mushrooms, asparagus spears & applewood bacon. The appetizer: The crabs seemed a bit old... it seemed it wasn't prepared with Old Bay Seasoning and all Blue Crab lovers know that if it ain't Old Bay Seasoning, you MUST nail it with your own seasoning. It didn't get there. Lots of seasonings but just less flavorful than we are accustomed to. The Entree: The surroundings to my Salmon was wonderful. The Salmon was a bit hard and didn't seem grilled, but fried. It had no grill marks or chard grill food pieces. Being a foodie and a Culinary Arts specialist, this grabbed my attention immediately. My wife's Chilean Sea Bass was delightful just as the preparation of my entree to the eyes. But she stated it was a little fishy. I tasted it and told my wife that she was right... but for a white fish, Sea Bass does have a fishy taste with an ammonia twang to it. We laughed that off because she didn't know. The Ambiance of the place was okay.. we had a small issue when we were 1st seated and it was immediately corrected... Thank you! - This place came highly recommended to us. I wonder if the recommendation was because of the location and less of the meal? The prices were great for 2 people. Thank you! read more

See all

Walked into here with a group of 4 at 8pm. They said there was space in the "breezeway." Little did I know that "breezeway" meant "We Don't Give A F*** About You Way." I have never sat at a bar, ordered, and not been served my drink for 20+ minutes. But my party and I continued to give this place the benefit of the doubt. We ordered dinner, but it never came. An hour and half later, the manager came over and he got us some shots and they were good. This is the only reason this hole gets an undeserved star. Will not be back. read more

Highly recommend the Signature High-tide Crab Cake Sandwich. My boyfriend and I both got this dish and LOVED it. We have both tried crab cakes from Thanes Oyster House and Shirley's and this one is definitely on par with those (and even better according to my boyfriend). Great crab cake packed full of crab and seasoned well. Also, great portion for the price. Will definitely come again when in Baltimore. read more

Riptide By The Bay - Signature High-tide Crab Cake Sandwhich. Yum!! :) - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Come here for the 80s rock music, stay for the great food and strong drinks. This place is one of my favorites in Fells. Had the crab mac. Not sure it was worth the $15 though. read more

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

It was a rainy weekday when I dined here solo. I asked for a seat in the dining room and I was the only one up there for a while. The waiter recommended the Firecracker Shrimp appetizer. It was terrific! I even liked the slaw that came with it (and I consider slaw rather a throw away item). I'd definitely get that again. I got crab cakes with curly fries as my entree. I've had better crab cakes. I thought the seasoning was weird, but the remoulade was nice and spicy and helped to mask the crab cake seasonings. I over-ordered but the prices weren't bad. read more

See all

It was a quiet Tuesday night in the middle of winter. Riptide came highly recommended. Yet, I would say that the food was good not great. We had: Chowder Salad Crab dip and chips Shrimp dumplings Crab Man n Cheese Fish and chips We enjoyed every dish with maybe the crab dip getting a slight nod for the favorite. But it was more like a "I'm hungry and the food was not bad" kind of enjoyment versus the "whoa, that crab dip was amazing and how about those fish and chips!" kind of enjoyment. We had skipped some of the more well-known names in this area in order to try Riptide. Afterwards, were were regretting that decision just a tiny bit. Service was great by the way. read more

Review from 7/22/17 - I love this restaurant, I'm kicking myself for not discovering this place sooner. Sitting on patio cracking crabs sipping beer was superb! We got rained on but I didn't let that bother, we had a large patio umbrella over us and I used my small one to protect the crabs (can't let that Old Bay wash off) This place gets packed past 8pm, so to get a table on the patio I recommend getting there earlier. Beer selection is decent, crabs are fresh and super tasty; I'm not sure if the seasoning was old bay or house made but it was delicious. I don't know when I'll visit Baltimore again since my family is moving back to Chicago, but if and when I do visit - Fells Point I'll be back! read more

Riptide By The Bay - Teaching my dear friend how to crack blue crabs... - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

A dollar oyster but the best thing which sadly not in this picture was the crab cake sandwich!!! Oh my God. Comes with their crispy sweet potato price.. you dont need anything else. Fantastic and worth a try when in Fells Pointe Baltimore. read more

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

This visit started out great server was nice enough and we got a table pretty much seated right away. My sister and I ordered some drinks which were very good and some starter sides to go with our blue crabs. As soon as I started getting into the crab I noticed that the meat was tough and off flavor. We couldn't eat any of the claws because the meat was black and dried out. We suffered through it because we were trying to get our money worth- ($27 a half dozen) but we couldn't help but complain to the server because we literally couldn't eat the claws and a few of the crabs were hollow (this happens when they are dead before cooking). The server was defensive by telling us the claw meat is supposed to be a little black. This blew my mind. I've been eating crabs since I was a toddler, crab meat is NEVER supposed to be dry hard like jerky and jet black.... They gave us 13.50 off our $54 crab order. I understand this because we did technically eat most of them but I wish we had said something earlier. Zero apologies were given. Otherwise the drinks were good and the sides were a decent portion size. Talked to a local Uber driver on the ride back and he said go to LP Steamers or Captain James... read more

See all

Nice selection at decent prices, excluding crabs which seem to get more & more expensive every time I have them. Good crowd; a mix of locals and tourists. I've been here a few times and I would return. I think Fells Point is the best neighborhood in the area. read more

This was my first time trying the famous Baltimore blue crab. My friend picked this place because he heard it had good reviews and thought the blue crab here was decent. I thought the place was quaint it's small but it makes it possible to have a conversation during dinner while you struggle to pick out the crab meat, which I learned is a skill you have to acquire and perfect by eating crab multiple times. Sometime that I would thoroughly enjoy doing. We only got the steam crab and it was doused in old bay seasoning. It was my first time trying old bay and it added a great complexity of flavors to the sweet crab meat. The crab pile we got was so fresh you can taste the salt water form the ocean. It was fun just struggling to get the meat and learning to use your fingers to really dig in and get that sweet delicious yumminess. Service was good I wished they would give you hot towels like they do in Chinese seafood restaurants - paper napkins just don't do it. read more

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

Stopped in at 2:30 on a Thursday, had a kickass cilantro southwest salad with a soft shell crab on top! Friendly service, good beer, great food! I will be back! Peyton Out! read more

See all

Stumbled upon the most tacky bar in Fells Point. The service was trash, the drinks were trash, food was trash. There nothing to compliment about this bar. I'm convinced someone's paying someone to write good reviews. DO NOT waste your money here there are plenty of great spots around like The Point, Prima, Pendry or WTH. I'm pretty sure if we were WHITE and STRIAGHT we probably would have gotten better service. your welcome :) read more

We (wife, kid) stopped here randomly, which is not like me at all since I usually like to research places on Yelp or other websites before picking lunch or dinner. However, it turned out to be very good, and no regrets. I had shark tacos because... well, it's SHARK and when do you get to eat that? They were excellent. My wife got chicken tacos because her stomach was a little upset and they were also excellent and spiced perfectly. The kid got chickenfingers which were not typical boring foodservice chicken fingers. We were seated in that little breezeway on the side of the restaurant, which was nice. It was hot out so this was fine. I assume in the colder months it's too chilly and they close this part down (or maybe put heaters in it?) The only complaint was that the breezeway is a smoking area so people stopped by and lit up while we were eating, which we didn't know was going to happen. I almost gave it 4 stars because of this, but if you kno about it and can avoid it, sit inside and you won't have this problem. Waitresses were very nice. read more

An overall disappointing meal. Came in on a Sunday at 6:30 with my SO and a friend because Thames had an absurdly long wait. We were seated immediately. We took a while to peruse the menu but eventually decided on a crab cake sandwich for me and my friend, and 1/2 lb of shrimp, a half dozen local oysters, and a half dozen small crabs for me and my SO to share. Oysters: The oysters came out first, and I was pretty excited to realize that I actually like oysters (and they got progressively better as I ate more, I guess it really is a taste you have to acquire). I'm not too familiar with oysters so I can't say whether or not they were fantastic in comparison to others. My SO really liked them and so ordered another half dozen (of a different kind). They made an extra order by accident (not realizing ours had already came out) and they let us keep it, so we got 3 for the price of 2 which was cool. Crab Cake Sandwich: The sandwiches came out next (with a side of fries). The crab cake, for it being Maryland, was pretty disappointing. There was a lot of filler and I couldn't barely taste the crab. The french fries were good, but I had to wait 25 minutes and ask three times before I got ketchup. Shrimp: The shrimp wasn't great. 1/2 lb ended up being quiet a small amount of shrimp, and the shrimp and onions came drowned in old bay seasoning. The shrimp itself was a bit tough and tasted overcooked and not very fresh. Crab: The crab, which was local, wasn't really great either. I wasn't sure if it was just because I'm a crab noob, but my friend and SO whose families both LOVE crab agreed that it wasn't great. Can't put my finger on why, but after eating half of a crab I wasn't interested in eating much more. I also asked for a crab cracker (at the same time that I asked for ketchup), and that never came either. Another con was that our waters were empty for most of dinner despite the fact that we asked several times to have our glasses refilled. After the second time we asked and nothing came (water or any of the other things we'd requested: ketchup, crab crackers) I went looking for our waiter, or any waiter, and couldn't find anyone. Not sure what people are doing, but service is definitely lacking. read more

See all

Tables are sticky, I repeat, the tables are sticky!!! Other than situation, my mom and I loved the food!!! We were in for a treat! We ordered the Maryland crab cake entree, Cobb salad, and seafood chowder bowl. We went halfsies and loved every bit of it! The pluses: Food is legit. Seafood is fresh. Quick timing No waiting in line or reservations necessary. How to deal: Look for another table that isn't over polished. Orrrr go for the napkin trick and use as table mat. Water is also funky tasting, suck it up. Come hither! read more

We went just for the medium crabs with old bay seasoning. Why fill your stomach with anything else when it seems the reviews are all over the place with inconsistent ratings on both quality of food and service? You would be setting yourself for disappointment and a lighter wallet. Just go there for 2 things and you will not be disappointed: Crabs and the $3.50 bloody mary If you want anything else - go elsewhere. Service was decent. The hostess cancelled my opentable reservation after 5 minutes of being seated which was really freaking weird but whatever. read more

Riptide By The Bay - $3.50 bloody mary on the weekends! - Seafood Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

See all

$14 for a mojito with no alcohol. Forgot my wife's entree. Chicken sandwich was pretty good but came with a side of chip crumbs from the bottom of the bag. read more

HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!! Customer beware I went there over the weekend for Halloween night I bought three shots at the bar for me and my two friends the total was $31.42 I left the bartender a $5 tip so imagine my surprise when I check my account the next day and was charged $81.42! I did not tip $50 that's insane I was in and out of there. I called and spoke to I guess said manger Billy about it he got my information and said he would take care of it he did not. Im also a restaurant manage so I know it's a simple fix. They lack professional and stealing is okay with them. read more

This spot is pretty hectic. The oysters are very old and gross. They are not fresh!!! Immediately they had an old seafoody taste. I mean just look at them. We knew they weren't fresh when they got to our table by the look of them. We couldn't finish it. And the drinks are horrible!!! Very diluted. They also charge a 20% gratuity. Would not come back nor recommend this place at all. read more

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

Had a few hours before catching my flight, and I wanted to grab some crab while in Baltimore. After poking through the reviews, I found myself here - and I made the right choice. I was there at about 3ish, so the place was empty. Frank was the bartender - very friendly and helpful. He brought out the tray of crabs to show off the sizes and prices. I went with a half dozen of the larger ones and a couple of beers. They also steam corn with the crab if you like, but the corn came out undercooked. (Not worth knocking off a star, as I barely eat sides when I'm pigging out on crab). The crab was doused with Old Bay, which is exactly the way to have it. Served up plain on butcher paper, with a mallet and a plastic knife. Shell parts everywhere by the end of it, and a very happy stuffed human. The place was exactly what I wanted - a dive-ish seafood joint down by the water with great crab. read more

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

See all

It was a Saturday evening 6pm... Made reservations just to be on the safe side since it's in Fells Point but wasn't busy at all. It's probably because it was cold out and a bit early for the "college dinner hours". I brought my date here as we were in Baltimore for the weekend. We wanted to check out some of the things we had read about within in the area so we decided to plant ourselves within the Inner Harbor. Yelp was a bit of our guide for places to eat and I have to say Riptide came option #2 because Themes Oyster Bar was busy and they didn't have any room for reservations when I called.... having said that We arrived and there were just a couple other parties and we were greeted with smiles and seated. Our waitress was a new girl who was being watched by another waiter as it seemed it was her first time... (she did wonderful). To not drag this review out too long, the service was great and this waitress was great. The things she didn't know, she found out immediately and apologized and letting us know it was her first night on the floor - not a biggie whatsoever cause her kindness took over and just made the rest of the night enjoyable. We ordered the Calamari, Lobster Raviolis, and Mari Tuna Tacos. I will say of the three, the Lobster Raviolis were amazing.. My date and I agreed that was the best dish of the night - and really something that we wish we had more, and wouldn't complain about ordering another if we were still hungry. Mahi Tuna Tacos, were alright..... and Calamari was needing some improvement. They were good... but for me the Calamari was missing an amazing dipping sauce. We had to ask for some sort of sauce which was like a chipotle mayo sauce they made for us, which definitely saved the dish - but it just didn't make sense why they didn't attach it with the dish. Freshness was there in the seafood, and the service was there to match it up and just make an overall good night. If you're looking for seafood, try the Riptide! was solid! read more

See all