Nothing says summer like an afternoon picking Maryland blue crabs on Cantler's patio overlooking Mill Creek. If you own a boat, you can arrive by water, but thejourney by car from downtown Annapolis is just a few minutes and a world away. The pace here is dictated by how long it takes to steam the crabs in giant kettles and how long it takes one to pick through the shells for the succulent meat. You can't be in a hurry for either. Cantler's is open year-round and offers a full seafood menu for those who don't want to get down and dirty crab-picking (there is a big wash basin out back). But then you'd miss the point for going to Cantler's in the first place.

--Nancy Lewis, The Guide, April 26, 2007

The Food section rated this restaurant's crab cake for a July 2009 story about the area's best.

From the constant mallet-hammering and the sign on the patio that reads "Smoke 'em if you've got 'em," it's a fair bet people come here for hard-shells and the casual waterfront scene. Lazy pickers can do well enough with the crab cakes. The deep-fried version surprisingly outdoes its lump-meat counterpart thanks to the contrast between crunchy coating and sweet meat filling.

Two 4-ounce lump crab cakes butter-broiled, $24.99, or two 4-ounce backfin crab cakes, deep-fried, $19.99

(July 29, 2009)