The Ageless Wonder of Cantler's

Celebrating Almost 40 Years of

Crab-Cracking Popularity

By Amy Russell | October 2011

If the walls at Cantler's could talk, they would likely have a lot to say. A long-time crab “shack” fixture of the Annapolis community, Cantler’s has seen countless politicians, stars, watermen, locals, out of town guests… and the list goes on. For those who have entered the Annapolis zip code – for business, pleasure or life – a visit to Cantler's reveals why this restaurant is renowned for its famously fresh seafood.

Established in 1974 by then-waterman Jimmy Cantler, Cantler's Riverside Inn has seen the area evolve over its deep, rich 37-year history. But perhaps what has made Cantler's the icon it is the fact that it hasn't really changed.

A Focus on Tradition and Staying Local

For an establishment nearly four decades old, it's impressive that Cantler's reputation for the freshest seafood in town has never weathered, and even more impressive, it has barely been rivaled. As businesses – specifically restaurants – come and go, Cantler's has held strong, earning its claim to being a long-time local favorite.

 

“The charming thing about this place is that it hasn't changed,” says manager Dan Donnelly, who has been with Cantler's for 18 years.

 

From the inside out, Cantler's has stayed true to its early beginnings. In fact, the only physical changes the building has had is repairs.

 

“It's a landmark, and everyone wants to see it that way,” says Donnelly. “You don't want to see a place like this be all shiny and new, that's not what it's about.”

 

Inside, the changes have been almost equally minimal.

 

One of the top reasons to visit Cantler's is the communal-style, picnic table seating, which lends itself magnificently to a friendly, casual atmosphere. So casual, in fact, patrons can literally kick back and crack open a beer: since its opening, Cantler's has proudly served beer from cans only. While that fact hasn't changed, the reasoning behind it certainly has.

 

“It's actually funny,” Donnelly says. “The can thing started because of fights. Back in the old days, Cantler's was really a watermen’s bar, and they thought it was a better idea to serve cans because they didn't want guys throwing the bottles at each other.” These days, Donnelly says, they continue to use cans-only because for one, they are better for boaters (Cantler’s sells to-go beer for boaters), and two, Cantler's has tile floors that would shatter a dropped glass bottle.

 

These days, travelers come from all over to dine on some of the Bay's freshest seafood, but Cantler's popularity wasn't always so far-reaching. It's another unusual and funny story from the beloved crab house's past that helps illustrate the restaurant's initial business boom.

 

Cantler's first claim to fame came in 1979, with a most unusual fresh catch.

 

“Jimmy Cantler told me this story, actually, that his brother once caught a big shark out in the Bay, which was really unusual, especially because of how big it was,” Donnelly recalls. “So they hung it up downstairs so people could see it, and somebody from the Washington Post was in here and took a picture of it. It sort of drug people out this way.”

 

It might have been the shark that brought people in, but it was the food and the atmosphere that brings them back. Cantler's widespread reputation has earned it a spot on the likes of Good Morning America, CNN, The Food Network, The Today Show and more.

 

The only significant evolution Cantler’s has experienced relates to the menu: once short and simple, Cantler's menu has grown significantly over the years. And, in the past seven years, it has further transformed to include seasonal summer and winter menus.

 

“We decided to make the switch to a seasonal menu based on what's available” says Donnelly. “It's the best way to stay true to the product and keep with what's local.”

 

The idea of “staying local” is so important to Cantler's, the restaurant is one of the few remaining crab houses in the area that sources the majority of its crabs from local crabbers. After bringing in some stock from Louisiana in the winter months and in the summer to keep up with high demand, Cantler's gets an impressive 75 percent of its crabs from Maryland. 

 

But during any time of year, Cantler's extends its reach to more than just seafood aficionados. Its current menu is packed with sandwiches, burgers, poultry dishes, vegetable sides, steaks, BBQ ribs, and sliders.

 

An Arena of Firsts, Tradition, Nostalgia

 

For many locals who grew up feasting on Cantler's cuisine, it's a part of their life they insist on continuing – even when life takes them in other directions.

 

Franklin Christopher Jr., an original Annapolitan residing in Kansas City, Missouri, makes it a point to dine at Cantler's every visit home. Most of the time, in fact, he goes straight from the airport before even dropping off his luggage.

 

“Its canned beer and brown paper and fresh seafood,” Christopher says. “It's the real Annapolis seafood experience, and I go every time I come home.”

 

As such a beacon of tradition, it's no wonder that Cantler's has been the setting for one very important “first:” first-time crab picking.

 

Bernie O'Brien, an Annapolis transplant from New Jersey, remembers picking his first crab at Cantler's a few years ago. “I was 27 years old and I'd been living in Annapolis for four years,” O'Brien recalls. “I remember a couple of my roommates and I were sitting at a bar talking about trying crabs, and the bartender told us that if we were going to try crabs for the first time we had to go to Cantler's, so we did. It was my first time ever going to a crab house or picking a crab.”

 

O'Brien says that he immediately understood the draw.

 

“It's a unique experience. It really takes you back to family picnics because you're sitting at a picnic table for one, and they put the paper on top so you can make as much of a mess as you want. It makes you feel like a kid again,” he says. “I can see how if you grew up in Maryland eating crabs, [eating at Cantler's] would be like a drive down memory lane.”

 

O'Brien admitted that despite the throwback experience, learning the ropes wasn't easy. “We had to have the people at the next table show us how to pick crabs; it was like we went to ‘Cantler's Crab 101’,” he says. Cantler's also has a reputation for filling up with veteran crab pickers always willing to pass along tips and reassurance.

 

O'Brien says the experience of picking his first crabs at Cantler's made him feel like an official Annapolitan. “It's like the Maryland fraternity.”

 

Fall is Prime Time Crab Picking

 

If you have never been to Cantler’s, or haven’t been this summer, October is the perfect time to visit. Although summer is fading, Cantler's is in its prime this time of year. While most people gravitate toward the summer months when crabs are presumed to the best, the pros know that crabs are really much better – and bigger - in the fall. They molt all summer and by September, they’ve stopped to prepare for winter. By now, they’re huge and heavy. [See What You Didn't Know About Crabs in June ‘11 TOTB]

 

Also better in the fall is the wait. With tourists mostly at bay for the winter, locals can expect shorter (if any) wait times. And at Cantler's, outdoor seating is pretty much available as long as you can personally weather it. “The outdoor seating stays open as long as I can keep it open,” Donnelly says. “It's heated and there are plastic curtains, so people can enjoy themselves out there late into the year. The fall weather is spectacular.”

 

For more information, call Cantler's at 410.757.1311, or stop by at 458 Forest Beach Road, Annapolis. Hours:  lunch and dinner Sun. –Thurs. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. – midnight. Reservations are accepted on Saturday and Sunday October through April only. www.cantlers.com

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