11-12-2023 Harford Mag - Flipbook - Page 34
Best restaurants
John Ecker, a co-owner of Conrad’s, places soft-shell crabs in the display at Conrad’s Crabs and Seafood Market. places soft shell crabs in the display at
Conrad’s Crabs and Seafood Market. PHOTO BY LLOYD FOX
BEST STEAMED CRABS
CONRAD’S CRABS
Bel Air Market: 1207 Baltimore Pike,
Bel Air, 443-981-3477.
Abingdon Restaurant:
3414 Merchant Blvd, Abingdon,
443-402-0482. conradscrabs.com
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| Winter 2023 | harfordmagazine.com
Seafood-loving Maryland has plenty of
crab houses to choose from. But Conrad’s
Crabs stands out with a promise to serve as
many locally caught crustaceans as possible.
The Maryland chain has markets in Bel
Air, Parkville and Jacksonville, as well as
restaurants in Abingdon and Perry Hall.
Their motto: “We catch our own.”
Andrea and Tony Conrad started the
seafood business in 2007 as an outlet to sell
the crabs that Tony, a waterman, catches
himself. The couple also works with a
network of more than 25 local crabbers to
source even more Maryland blue crabs.
Conrad’s has had a dedication to freshness from the beginning: “When we first
started, a lot of people were pre-steaming
crabs,” said John Ecker, a co-owner. “We’ve
never done that, ever.” Instead, their crabs
are coated with a proprietary spice blend
mixed by J.O. Spice and steamed fresh to
order.
Conrad’s crab houses are also part of
the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s
“True Blue” program, which certifies that a
restaurant is using local crab meat.
“The quality definitely stands for itself,”
Ecker said.