Sandgates Inn

Typical Southern Maryland crab restaurant. Great view of the Patuxent River. Gets crowded and sometimes roudy as the night progresses. Friendly staff.

Went here with some relatives and we all loved it. The steamed crabs were great, but the crab chowder was to die for! Went back the next day for more. The atmosphere was rustic and charming, and the service was friendly both times. Highly recommend!

We went to sandgates on a Saturday night in August aka their busy season. It was moderately crowded but it took 50 minutes for us to get our appetizers and food (which arrived together). We received nothing during the waiting time (like bread). Our poor waitress kept apologizing and saying «everyone came in at the same time» but you should EXPECT that many people on a Saturday night. The manager was an older woman who was EXTREMELY RUDE, flippant, and unapologetic. The food was nothing to write home about if you go to any local seafood restaurant in southern MD. The experience was so bad our waitress told us we «didn’t have to tip her» since it took so long (which we still did because she was the only person who worked there that cared how long it took). Will NOT be returning and will tell everyone I know not to bother.

Have been here several times over the past few years; they’ve always been good to excellent, and the location by the river is outstanding. Yesterday we all had a late lunch here after our daughter graduated from St. Mary’s College. There were guests at maybe three other tables. I had the fried rockfish, baked potato and salad. My wife had a crab cake sandwich, and my daughter ordered a dozen crabs, of which we all had at least a couple each. Absolutely everything was outstanding, they were some of the best crabs I’ve had in years. The rockfish was perfect, and my wife’s crab cake was enormous and filled with huge lumps of crab meat. The waitress was pleasant and attentive. The beer was cold and good. I had coffee and coconut cream pie for dessert, my daughter had the lemon meringue. The pies were some of the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant, the crusts were flaky and perfect. It was a fantastic end to an otherwise stressful week.

Bad service. Waitress was unprofessional and not attentive. The food was good. Got a dozen crabs. 3 of them were babies. My nephew didn’t like his food, so he switched with my wife. Steamed shrimp were expensive, a few large ones on top.

Great place for crabs on the water in So. MD! Friendly, helpful, staff, great crabs, family-​friendly, and beautiful views. What more can you ask for? Cantler’s is still my fave, but in southern Maryland, this is the place. Wonderful day spent picking crabs here.

Love that it’s on the water, the food is pretty good however the wait for it is a Lil extensive, the service is great our server last time was Amanda she did a great job, very friendly and helpful. The only complaint I have is there was a extra beer on our check and apparently no manager on duty to fix it and I believe the waitress ended up paying for it out of pocket and being a restaurant there should be a manager on duty at all times. Other then that great place to dine on the water definitely better then the place next door!

We came here after getting bad treatment at the Seabreeze next door. This is one of those times where things worked out for the better. The staff were very, very nice and accommodating – even showed us how to pick the crabs more than once. Our waitress had good suggestions of flavor and value. The food was very good and among the better crab places I’ve been to on the water. I recommend this place if you are in the area and want a nice place to eat good, local crab with a great outdoor seating option.

After having a couple of decent meals at the Sea Breeze, the wife and I decided to branch out and give the neighboring Sandgates Inn a try. Boy, that was a mistake.
To be fair, we went in for lunch and we not sure if they were even typically open for lunch. I could not find any hours posted online or at the establishment itself. We pulled into an empty parking lot at 11:30 am and walked right in. The helpful host/​server told us to have a seat and informed us that the cook sometimes runs late on Fridays. She added that it is usually between 11:30 and noon before the cook shows up. No worries, they had a bar area which we could occupy ourselves with pinball and novelty bowling machines.
Well, noon came and passed before we were given an update on the cook. The host/​server let us know that she had called the manager for the cooks phone number and she assured us that they were on the way.
«…unless you you want crabs. Because I can call call the crab guy… and he should only be about 20 minutes or so.»
Having gone there specifically for crabs, we put in an order for a dozen crabs, pending the arrival of this «crab guy».
Finally, sometime after 12:30 (an hour after we walked in the door) the cook arrived, so we also put in an order for the seafood chowder. About 20 minutes went by after this. What is bazaar, is that by this time, the restaurant had other patrons sitting at empty tables who had also been waiting patiently without a cook on premises.
We began to have doubts about this place, and when the chowder finally arrived, we requested to reduce our crab order to half a dozen. Although, there was no crab guy in sight, this was somewhat of an ordeal since the host/​server was not sure if they could change an order in the system once it had been placed. Eventually, she figured out how to change the order for us.
The chowder was decent, nice flavor, but was more crab than seafood. The thickness was a bit much, with too much flour.
Finally, the host/​server had an update for the crab guy! He was on the way, and would be there in «three shakes of a lambs tail» (whatever that means). Because of the wait, the crab guy wanted to let us know that he would pick 6 «better ones» for us when he arrived.
By this time, it was after 1:00 pm and we had been there and hour and a half! Having finished the chowder, we decided to cut our loses and settle out the check.
«I should have told you, the crab guy is here, and your crabs are cooking.»
Finally, at about 1:15, we had our crabs. Although there was seven in total, I would not grade them as «better ones». They were mostly mediums, and two had front claws missing. There was only a light dusting of old bay on them, but there was more on the table for seasoning yourself.
To add insult to injury, they where over-​cooked!
Yes, we waited almost two hours for over-​cooked crabs.
Hey Sandgates, you are a crab house… you had one job and you managed to screw it up.
Next time we are sticking with the Sea Breeze.

decided to take a long ride on a beautiful day, so I went to sandgates. reviews were good for crabs, so I wanted to see for myself. after a 4 hr ride, my girlfriend and I arrived. staff were very friendly and the crabs were very full and good, a little small, but for the beginning of season, not bad. we had a bowl of seafood chowder, wow that was the best chowder I ever had, a must get. great place to go, will stop back if im in the area again

Food (seafood chowder, fried shrimp and crab cake sandwich) is good, service is bad — our waitress paid no attention to us.

Freshest Steam Crabs. $ 45 a dozen. Dozen come in 13 – 14 crabs. Great service. Love this place,

If you want crabs and beer, in a religion-​of-​the-​fish setting, then this is your place. Probably one of the last dozen or so, mom – n-​pop operations serving thousands and thousands of fresh local seasoned crabs in the Chesapeake area. Tables upon tables, in squared lines of carnivore… ah I mean crustacheon-​eating bottom dwelling devouring landlubbers you ever saw — -150 of them – in and out.
Beer, crabs, fries.
Ain’t nothin but the real thing baby.
And ask for Monkey, the spitfire daughter of the creators. She’s a crabby dick if I ever saw one, and right nice too… did you hear me sailor? Sponge Bob sent me.

Have been going there for years. The crabs are the best and I will often drive there to get the crabs to go. The crabs are worth the price. You definitely get what you pay for. The staff have been there for years are very friendly, courteous and attentive. Family, friendly atmosphere.

Really great location, fantastic service, and juicy, meaty crabs. What more is there to ask for than sitting on the water with a cold beer and Old Bay-​covered fingers? Affordable prices and friendly people. I loved it!

My family has been going to Sandgates for years, it is one of our favorites. Southern Marylanders tend to be territorial with their seafood places and this is ours. We don’t usually get crabs here since we cook them at home but I can’t imagine they are bad. Seafood chowder is awesome, crab cakes are large and have plenty of meat in them, soft shells usually come 2 on a sandwich. It is a seafood place so meals come on paper plates and there is brown crab paper on every table, the dining room is loud but that is typical for this kind of place. The prices are decent and the beer is always cold. You can’t go wrong at Sandgates… unless of course you eat pizza.
Recommendation: Pitcher of beer, seafood chowder and a crab cake.

ahhhhhh Sandgates! Maryland Blue Crabs at their finest! They reopened for the season this week, and not expecting it to be totally on its game we returned. SURPRISE! It was just as amazing as if they had never closed over the winter. FANTASTIC as always! They only had two dozen crabs left so we got them. YUM! As always, steamed to perfection! Sandgates NEVER precooks crabs and holds them under a warmer like most places do, NOT EVEN when they are slammed. Crabs are steamed and brought to you upon order. You will NEVER EVER be disappointed at Sandgates. Looking for Crabs at their absolute best… SANDGATES IS YOUR BEST BET!