An Annapolis icon sheltered in the quiet waters of Mill Creek, Cantler's Riverside Inn has been the real deal since 1974. Jimmy Cantler is a native Marylander who worked as a waterman on the Chesapeake Bay — his family has been in the seafood industry for five generations. This isn't a themed restaurant playing dress-up. This is where the watermen actually gather.
The menu is massive and deeply Maryland. Steamed hardshell blue crabs are the main event — sold by the dozen, J.O. seasoned, newspaper on the table, mallets out. But the crab cakes deserve equal billing: jumbo lump, butter-broiled, barely any filler. Their Crab Imperial is a creamy gratin packed with lump meat, and the soft shell crabs come straight off Cantler's own docks, fried fresh and crispy. Beyond crabs, they're running steamed PEI mussels, Drunk'n Mussels simmered in white wine and garlic, bacon-wrapped scallops, sesame seared ahi tuna, and a Cajun Seafood Pasta with clams, scallops, and shrimp.
The vibe is come-as-you-are. Pull up by car or by boat — the outdoor deck overlooking Mill Creek is where the crab feasts happen. No reservations for small parties, first-come-first-served. They'll take groups of 25+ Monday through Thursday. Open seven days a week, all year round. This is the kind of place where you show up in whatever you flew in wearing, order a dozen larges, and lose track of time watching the boats come in.
