One of Baltimore's newest crab houses also is one of its best. Canton Dockside features fat, meaty steamed blue crabs year round, and also has a full menu filled with other seafood favorites. With a lively bar and expansive outdoor deck seating across the street from the water, Canton Dockside quickly has attracted a devoted following of Baltimore crab-heads.
Pros
- Some of the freshest, plumpest steamed blue crabs around
- Ample outdoor seating with a great view of the water
- Large dining room and bar
- A parking lot
- Takeout available
Cons
- Crabs can be a bit pricey
- Some of the non-crab items on the menu can be uneven
Description
- Address: 3301 Boston St.
- Phone: 410-276-8900
- Hours: Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
- Prices: Appetizers: $6.95-$10.50; Sandwiches: $6.95-$12.95; Dinner Entrees: $13.50-$22.95; Crabs: varies daily
- Parking: Lot adjacent to the restaurant.
Guide Review - Canton Dockside
Trendy isn't a word that should be used to describe a crab house. Who wants to pick crabs in a place that even hints at pretentiousness? Yet Canton Dockside, in one of Baltimore's most happening neighborhoods, manages to convey a vibrant, place-to-be atmosphere without selling its soul.
Start with the crabs. They're fat, meaty, and steamed to perfection under a blanket of Old Bay. They vary in size, price, and availability every day - always a good indication of freshness. On a Wednesday night in July (2009), mediums were $50 a dozen, while larges clocked in at $63. Another Dockside advantage: you can order a half dozen, or even one or two.
The rest of the menu is solid, if unspectacular. Among the appetizers, the fried calamari appetizer is on the bland side, but the crab dip and ridiculously large onion rings are satisfying.
Dockside serves sandwiches, ribs, chicken, and more elaborate entrees (including crab fluffs, jumbo lump crab cakes dipped in tempura batter). Be sure to try the Old Bay shrimp tray, a pound of pre-peeled steamed shrimp smothered with sweet onions and potatoes. It's delicious.
But steamed crabs are what it's all about at Canton Dockside. Whether or not it's the place to be, sitting outside on the deck shoveling meat into your mouth and shells into a bucket wedged into a hole in the middle of the wooden table (nice touch!), Canton Dockside is a spot crab lovers want to be.