The Shrimp Boat Restaurant and Seafood Market

“As John Waters would probably say, ‘If you’re going to eat shrimp, make it weirdly wonderful.’”

The Shrimp Boat absolutely delivered! Forget Bubba Gump—Forrest may have had a long list of shrimp recipes, but I don’t remember him mentioning head-on shrimp cooked this well. They were messy, juicy, and packed with flavor—the kind of meal where you stop caring how many napkins you’ve used.

And let’s talk about the all-you-can-eat crab situation—because Marylanders don’t play around. This wasn’t just a meal, it was a full-on crab commitment. Steaming hot, perfectly seasoned, and arriving in waves like the Chesapeake itself decided to show off. You go in thinking you’ll “just have a few,” and suddenly you’re in a delicious, buttery negotiation with yourself about your life choices.

The atmosphere was laid-back, lively, and exactly what you want from a great seafood spot. The staff was friendly, the food came out hot, and every bite reminded us why Marylanders take seafood seriously.

If you’re looking for fancy white tablecloths, keep driving. If you’re looking for shrimp that make you wonder why you ever ordered anything else—and crab that dares you to tap out first—this is your place. We’ll definitely be back… probably after we’ve finished licking the seasoning off our fingers.

Shrimp Boat is a pretty good value if you go during happy hour (3-5pm), when pretty much all shrimp dishes are half off. It's a generous deal. The happy hour price for all you can eat shrimp (steamed, head on, and fried) plus corn on the cob and fries is only 20$. The quality is only decent, though. For example, the shrimp are not deveined and the fried shrimp are heavily breaded and oily. The crab cake is nearly all filler. During happy hour, the shrimp dishes are a pretty good deal for big portions of mediocre quality food. Our service was good: the waitress was bright and friendly, quick with refills and easy to talk to. Overall, shrimp boat seems like a hit for the over 60 crowd who are looking for a good deal.

We went to The Shrimp Boat for lunch today, and they started us off with complimentary shrimp! We got two Creamsicle drinks made with vodka and topped with a full popsicle—so delicious! We also ordered six medium crabs for just $3.49 each, along with a side of hushpuppies. Everything was delicious and definitely a great deal. Sitting outside made for a great, cool spot to enjoy the meal!