Ships Cafe & Pub

I have never written a Unilocal review before. I have gone back and forth about writing this, but my experience at Ships Café & Pub was REALLY that bad, which is sad because this place came highly recommended. I felt like I was on an episode of «Kitchen Nightmares,» before Chef Ramsey gets angry and has to redesign the menu/​restaurant.
I went to Ships on a Saturday night at around 7:45 with my family (wife and 3 year old son) and friends (a husband, wife, their and 2 month old daughter). The first indication that this was going to be a bad experience… they were out of crabs, so we had to order more «traditional» food off the menu…
A few things:
1.) The food.
If you go here and they don’t have crabs (get those I hear they do a good job)… the food is HORRIBLE. This place is in Baltimore County, so why are the crab cakes so bad??? I grew up in Maryland, so I know what a crab cake should taste like… and this ain’t it. I’ve never experienced this before at any restaurant, but I was spitting out shells while eating my crab cakes. This was particularly concerning to me since my 3 year old son was eating from my plate. He could have choked. (FYI the shell filled crab cakes were $ 36.)
The crab soup…*sigh*
First off, the soup barely had any crab in it… Second, the soup was REALLY bland. In fact, the crab soup was so nasty that I unfortunately do not know the right adjectives to adequately describe it («horrible» crab soup, «mundane» crab soup, «ghastly» crab soup, etc).The best description that I can give is to ask you to imagine if McDonald’s was running a promotion for the «McCrab soup» for a limited time. Ok, now think about how the «McCrab soup» would taste after picking it up at the drive-​through window… there you go.
The water was the truth though…
2.) The service.
Now THIS is where the real complaints start. The food I could let slide to an extent because, honestly, Ships could have just been having an off night food-​wise. The service, however, is inexcusable.
Our server was too busy talking to her friends (who I think also worked at Ships) that were eating at the table behind us to attend to our table. The other servers were too busy flirting with the new waitress to step in to help out. Our server also seemed confused and kept rushing us to order… it was off-​putting to say the least. In addition to that, she was walking around (while waiting tables mind you) wearing headphones, listening to music, and totally tuning us out.
The worst part about the service was that EVERY. SINGLE. ORDER. WAS. WRONG… MULTIPLE TIMES. Every time we corrected our server, she had an attitude with us. By the time I started to eat my shell-​filled crab cake I was tired off the table complaining.
The staff as a whole seemed confused.
Maybe something happened in the kitchen? Maybe since it was a few hours until closing the staff was getting antsy? I don’t know… All I know for certain was that service was REALLY slow that night. I ordered my «mundane» crab soup at 8:15 and didn’t get it until 8:45. We placed our entrée order at around 8:30, but everyone’s entrees didn’t start coming out until 9:15 (Remember we got there at around 7:45?). Making matter worse, we all received our food at different times…
3.) The check
Our service was horrible, our food was horrible, but I was still planning on tipping the waitress something (Why? Because tipped employee minimum wage). When we received the check we were shocked to see that because we were a «large party» they included a 15% tip in the final amount (I usually tip 20% 25% depending on the service, so Ships actually hurt the server in this case). We asked to split the check between the two families, but our waitress informed us that they could NOT split checks at Ships. Later, my friend flagged down the waitress again (FYI she disappeared for 10 minutes) and she said that Ships couldn’t split the checks, BUT they could take our cards and split the check in half… isn’t that the textbook definition of «splitting checks???» *sigh*
Long post/​story short.
Ships seems like a GREAT place to eat if you get crabs, BUT if you are looking for great service and good food other than crabs… this might not be the spot for you.
I probably won’t be coming back here. The service was just too bad.

My friends were in town and we wanted to go out for dinner. We thought Ships would be a great choice since we heard great things about the restaurant. I had been there once before and although the service was a bit lacking, I thought it was a fluke. Everything started out well this time, then it quickly went downhill. It was probably one of the worst service experiences I have ever had at a restaurant.
Everyone ordered their drinks and was quite clear on what they wanted. Somehow she managed to mix up iced tea with pink lemonade. We let her know of the error and she seemed more flustered than accommodating. Then We received our appetizers and noticed we didn’t have any marinara sauce for our mozzarella sticks. After flagging down our waitress to alert her about the issue, she said it would be right up. Well, it arrived about 15 minutes later and that was after asking her multiple times.
So, two mix-​ups no big deal right? After waiting for what seemed like forever to get our food things got even worse. My wife ordered a broiled crab cake she said she wanted fries and veggies for the sides. When the order came out my wife told the waitress she ordered a broiled crab cake with a side of fries. The waitress insisted that my wife ordered the crab cake fried. She returned with a broiled crabcake containing filler and shell pieces and it was not completely cooked. The waitress then forgot the french fries for another meal. Our friends ordered a sweet potato and a regular baked potato. Again she insisted they got their order wrong. Never once did she check her paper, nor did she send over a manager or try to be the least bit helpful.
While we were still eating, she left the check on our table which was quite rude. We asked if she could split the check. She snapped back that she couldn’t. Then after flagging her down again, she said she could split the check in half. I was ready to hand her my card and just have her charge each card equally, but then she took the bill away. We were all a bit confused. I guess she didn’t want to split the check based on what we ordered, but she still technically split the bill on seat one and seat two.
To top it off gratuity was included. Now even with not so great service I normally leave a decent tip, but the added gratuity for 4 adults and child was insult to injury.
I’m sure the crabs are great, but I won’t have a chance to try them. The service was just too bad for me to return. If I did return to Ships, it would be to tell the manager that his waitress needs some serious training in customer service. Just because gratuity is already included in the bill is no excuse for poor treatment.

Great crabs and corn! Would have given 5 stars but wait staff can seem a bit prejudice at times. Carryout is fine tho.

For my step-daughter’s 18^th birthday party we went to Escape This Live and then to lunch at Ship’s Café. Ships Café had a nice private room upstairs that worked well for our party. I would say you could comfortable seat 24 people, but we only had 13. The food was fine. I had the chicken parmesan and it was a big portion. My step-son’s chicken caesar wrap was dry and he found a chicken bone in it. He said the cream of crab soup was really good though. The service was slow, but everyone was talking and the time went by. The biggest complaint I have is I gave the waitress our ice cream cake and specifically said, «This is an ice cream cake, it needs to go in the freezer.» When it was time for the cake, it was pretty melted, so it was obviously not put in the freezer. Oh well, everyone still ate it. All in all it was perfect for our party.

Really only get the crabs to go. They are ok sized for the price. Dined in once. Wasn’t bad but wasn’t memorable. Stick to the crabs and you’ll be good here.

We had the vegan sandwich and the peanut butter cake. Waitresses were very cordial and friendly. The food was awesome. The bathroom was clean.

We have been here a few times before. This review is for our most recent visit. Friday evening around 6:30pm & found parking out back. Plenty of seats at the bar & few tables available in the dining room. We ordered 2 beers & 2 apps… Cream of crab soup & Bourbon BBQ wings.
Soup was very thick & rich & tasty. The problem was very little to no crab meat. Very disappointed.
The wings were spot on! Crispy fried to perfection dipped in a sweet & juicy Bourbon sauce. Hard shell Blue crabs from Louisiana are available year round for your crab picking desires. Several folks were doing just that. The crabs looked big & meaty & smelled delicious. Will have to try that the next time.

Everything was pretty «blah». Our appetizer of corn and crab fitters was mostly rubbery batter. His crab cakes were decent… they had a lot of crab and good seasoning. My chicken chesapeake left me unmoved, it was a nice amount of food but just didn’t hit all the points for me on flavor. Our sides were room temp at best. With so many places to try I won’t waste another trip on just so-​so food.

I was apprehensive about going here after reading some less-​than-​stellar reviews on Unilocal and Google. Glad I did, however. The service was fast (even with a party of 11), friendly and prompt. I had the cream of crab and the hot roast beef sandwich. The soup was good and the portion for the hot roast beef was huge! Couldn’t eat it all. Was delicious and perfect for a cool Fall evening. Lots of others around us were eating crabs, seems to be a good place for it.
I had none of the service issues that some on here complained about. I’d definitely go back.

4 stars for the food, 0 stars for the HORRENDOUS experience with one of their hostesses.
I actually visited Ship’s months ago with my mother, father, and now-​husband. My parents were visiting from Chicago, and I suggested we go to Ships for steamed crabs.
The hostess, a petite, blond girl in her late teens/​early twenties, was — hands down — the absolute RUDEST person I have ever encountered in a restaurant. Seriously.
She was snippy and dismissive when we put our name on the wait list. She quoted us 45 minutes. We asked if we needed a pager or to leave our cell phone number. She seemed annoyed that we had asked. She told us to go walk around and check back in with her in about 20 minutes. We did just that. When we checked in 20 minutes later, she informed us that she had given our table away because she «screamed [our] name outside like, 20 times.» My mother was ready to rip this girl’s head off, but I interjected sweetly, asking if we had misunderstood her instruction to check back in 20 minutes. The hostess snapped back at me that she just tells people 45 minutes. Wanting to keep everyone calm, I didn’t argue with the girl, but instead asked if we could be put back on the list. She got really annoyed and said «well, it’s going to be another hour.» My mother responded with «is that a real hour, or are you just saying that?» The girl came back at my mother, getting in her face. We were all stunned into silence. I have NEVER seen ANYONE — much less a HOSTESS at a restaurant — be so spectacularly rude to a customer.
Another hostess came over at this point — another young blonde woman with a sweet face — and apologized for the confusion. She offered to bump us up the list. My parents were livid, and wanted to leave. I talked my family into staying — we had driven 40 minutes to eat at this place. We stood awkwardly in front of the hostess stand (there was nowhere else to wait in the crowded restaurant), right in front of the first hostess (who had just chewed us out), who glared at us and made rude comments about my mother to the other hostess.
The ironic part was, once we were seated, the meal was lovely. The server was very kind and attentive, despite the dinner rush. Our food was delicious (I had prime rib, my family had seafood dishes). But we couldn’t get over the horrible way that hostess treated us.
I actually waited to write a review of our experience because I was so upset by this awful, awful hostess. I didn’t want to say something mean about her. I worked in restaurants for over 10 years — sometimes, we have bad days, and that affects the job we do. It’s totally understandable. I get it. Moreover, the head bartender (muscle-​y guy in his early thirties with a buzz cut) has waited on me before. He’s a super-​nice guy, and has always treated me and my husband well. This one hostess is clearly not the norm at Ships.
That said, I still cannot believe how outrageously rude this girl was. I will never go back there. Ships — you have a good thing going. Please, do not hire people who act this way and scare away your customers!

Everyone fancies themselves an expert on crabs in Baltimore and I can guarantee folks are ready to practically come to blows on which crab house has the heaviest, meatiest, most flavorful crabs. I have spent my fair share of time making my way through Baltimore’s «best» list and to be fair, many of the places have earned their rightful place on these lists. I went to Ships for the first time for Mothers Day and that’s when my love affair with the restaurant began. Their medium crabs are larger than some other restaurants jumbos and the prices are great, especially relative to the size. I love this place and the crabs? Well, they’re some of Baltimore’s best.

Being from Florida, Ships was a great experience! Our table went all in and ordered the steamed crabs and some appetizers. The huge pile of crabs was placed on the middle of the table for everyone to grab (with crab devouring etiquette) and enjoy! Have plenty of water (or draft beer) available to slug down because the Old Bay seasoning is caked on! I wouldn’t have it any other way of course. This dining experience is best enjoyed with close friends and family because it takes time and practice getting into the meaty crabs. Everyone proudly displays claw meat as a trophy when they harvest it successfully. Although the crabs were delectable it really is about the shared experience. Also don’t be too jumpy when you hear hammers hitting the tables around you as fellow patrons are cracking their own crabs open.
Please please order a cup of the cream of crab soup. It is rich and creamy and like nothing I’ve tasted before. Very warm and comforting like a good bowl of chili on a cold night.
What a place! I’d be happy to order and eat a bushel of crabs here anytime!

This was my first time here. Although, I had heard not so good things about it before I went. I like to judge for myself. Let’s say that I was glad that I finally got the chance to try it for myself. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to feel when I first walked in but, I was welcomed and seated quickly. I ordered a frozen margarita which was delicious might I add. So, delicious that I was having a second one before the end of my meal. I ordered coconut shrimp as my appetizer. The I got the $ 50.00 dozen of crabs and corn. This is where I ordered that second margarita. Oh and I can’t forget my glass of water. Lol. The bartender/​waitress was very friendly. I wanted to try dessert before I left but, I had no room left in my belly. The crabs were very meaty and the waiter even put the left over crabs in a bag for me to take home. Lets just say that I am plotting on when I will get to go next. I would be in trouble if this place was located near my home.

Went here for Sunday dinner because we were undecided what to do for dinner. I knew that I was hungry but most importantly wanted some good crabs. This place came highly recommended for crabs by a coworker for 2+ years so I finally decided to try it. The chicken cheese steak came highly recommended as well so we ordered that along with the mild buffalo wings and the new jerk chicken tenders for tasting purposes only. In my opinion the only slight disappointment was the buffalo wings; I’ve had better. The cheese steak was everything. It tasted just like one of those good olé «hood» cheese steaks. Just the right amount of mayo without being too greasy, very meaty and a warm soft sub roll. The jerk chicken tenders were unbattered with a slight grilled taste to them but could’ve used a little more jerk seasoning. They also came with a horseradish dip, however it wasn’t as spicy as horseradish usually is and that was ok with me. Now onto the crabs. The only ones that were available were the small/​medium ones for $ 68/​dozen and worth every penty lol. Please don’t be discouraged by the small/​medium title they’re given because they were huge, heavy and meaty. I am an avid crab eater and I was only able to eat 2 ½ before I was done. That could also be because I ate the food prior to eating the crabs or maybe because they were just that meaty. I’m thinking the latter though because dinner and crabs has never been a problem for me before. They came out right after we finished dinner piping hot and well seasoned. No alcoholic drinks for us (gotta work Monday’s) so we just ordered the raspberry tea which was also just how I like it; very very sweet.
Service
15% automatic gratuity really annoys me because waiters seem to never work for their money. We had to ask for silverware, napkins, a mallet and butter for crabs more than once. At least silverware and napkins should be standard, everything should be offered if you order crabs. 18% automatically added for parties of 5 or more.
Would I return? Absolutely!

This place is great! Cute décor, good food, but lil grumpy service.
I sat at the bar and shared wings ½ spicy ½ burboun and a crab cake sandwich hold the bread and subed the fries for onion rings. The crab cake was meaty (not jumbo lump) and spiced like a meatball, it was unique and tasty. The onion rings seemed home made and were delicious. I liked the burboun wings better than the spicy. The crabs looked great, very big for smalls

We made a reservation at this crab house after seeing recommendations for it on a FOX 42 story. We had a reservation a day in advance and when we showed up at 6pm there were many available tables where we could have been seated. However, we were taken upstairs to the sun patio. The room was not a comfortable place to enjoy dinner. It was cold! The chairs were uncomfortable and the table we sat at was awkwardly arranged and prepared for a party of seven and we had only five.
We ordered meals off the menu and steamed crabs for the table. Per the waitress recommendation we asked that the crabs be brought out after the main course. She assured us they would come out directly. However we waited almost 40 minutes after our main course was finished for our crab to arrive. If our dinning area has been more comfortable place to sit it may have been less frustrating. To top it all off at the end of our meal a party of 16 very load men were seated in our dinning room and the rest of our meal we couldn’t hear each other talk. When we finished our crab we waited too long for our bill. In all we came at 6pm and didn’t leave till 8:30.
Was the food worth it? The crab was very nice and the entrées were OK. The food wasn’t good enough to overcome the service.

The BEST crabs in the area. They are HUGE and very meaty. We have been coming to Ships Café for years and have never been disappointed with the food or service.
We love the crab and corn fritters as an appetizer. They are served with a delicious, spicy dipping sauce that is scrumptious! My teenage son always orders the cream of crab soup and eats every drop of it. The nutty buddies are another one of our favorites. A great way to end a perfect meal.
The wait staff is delightful. Always friendly and refreshing our drinks and cleaning the table off promptly.
Ships is our Go To place for seafood. We travel quite a distance to get there, but it is worth every mile.

Had reservation for mothers day, specifically stated we were gonna have crabs. Arrived there and was informed that the crabs were limited to only small sizes at $ 50 per dozen.
We started off with soups, cream of Crab was excellent. Lobster bisque tasted like baby food. no lobster in it at all. The crab and shrimp dip. looked amazing but had very little Crab and no shrimp. the crab used was very bad quality and very shredded and fine. almost like a canned tuna texture. It was so much cream cheese it was very thin consistency.
Drinks were great. Crabs amazing for the size. Overall just stick with crabs and drinks.

So a Vegan walks into a seafood restaurant…(stop me if you’ve heard this one before).
After looking at their online menu, I went to Ship’s just knowing my meal was going to be comprised of roughly about 3 items off the sides menu. An action I’m not new to since when I want to hang with my friends, I compromise on choice of venues so that they don’t always have to be limited to only hanging out with me at places that offer vegan dishes. However, I was pleased when I opened the menu to find that Ship’s offered a vegetable sandwich with cooked squash, zucchini, and mushrooms so I got this sandwich in a wrap and found it absolutely delicious!
What stroked and impregnated my fancy even more however, was the drink menu. Me being a whiskey gal (and I don’t mean in a sour) I ordered one of my fave drinks, the Manhattan. BEST Manhattan in Baltimore (so far that I’ve experienced at least). There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the bartender’s technique so much as the fact that it was done RIGHT. The bartender brought out a King Cube silicon ice tray (for the uninformed, feel free to look it up and educate yourself on the importance of types of ice used in cocktails). Next were the standard drops of vermouth and bitters but what was the real star? LUXARDO CHERRIES *fainted, open eyes, sit up, sees the jar, faints again* Luxardo cherries are more robust in flavor and texture than your standard candied bar fruit nightmares and take the Manhattan’s flavor to the next level. It’s also a nice touch to me because the cherries are at least $ 15 a jar so Ships seems serious about the quality of their drinks. He was stingy in that he only gave me one so I had to ask for an additional cherry but I understand that not everyone would know and/​or appreciate the difference. I also appreciated the choice in quality whiskeys offered to me by the bartender to use.
For those who are tapping your fingers waiting for some tidbit of info about the seafood, I will say that although Ships doesn’t offer any specials on their crabs, my friend ordered a half dozen of «smalls» at the $ 35/​doz price and they were definitely medium sized to me and big enough to take up her whole square of paper that was set in front of her at the bar. So you seem to get your money’s worth. Be forewarned however that (as with most crab houses in Baltimore) the crabs were not local so they will taste a lot «cleaner» and not as dirty water «flavored» as the local Maryland crabs I once held so dear in life.
My rating would be a 4 for this place based on limited veg options but score up for the fact that they have a ton of gluten free options.

Lots of fun, great food and drinks. This family owned pub is worth the visit. Really enjoyed Saturday night drinks and snacks that we returned the next day for lunch. They have many gluten free options also, like their great steamed shrimp. Family that we were visiting told us this is one of the best places for cooked crabs. We must come back and try.