Edgewater Restaurant — Restaurant in Edgewater

We'd eaten at Edgewater Restaurant ten years ago, and ordered the meal recommended to us: "very best crab cakes around Annapolis" and "salad bar to die for!" We found the salad bar to be fresh, small and ordinary, and the crab cakes fried browner than we expected. It was an OK dining experience, but once was enough. Ten years later, I wanted a light dinner out with friends. Our group chose Edgewater Restaurant today. We got the last parking spot, a good sign. A regular patron walked in with us. He recommended the crab cake dinner, "the very best in Annapolis" and be sure to get the "salad bar to die for." Inside, a time warp. The furnishings were exactly the same. I was stunned at the high prices in the menu. The only small item was Cajun fried rockfish bites for $12. I added the ala carte salad bar for about $8. It was very fresh but small, and half of the selection was a variety of salad dressings. There were about a dozen small strips of rockfish, without the Cajun as I requested. It was plenty for me, but it was quite bland, with no seasoning, not even salt and pepper. It was tasty but not out of the ordinary. My guy ordered the fried chicken dinner with plain baked potato and salad bar. He was served half a chicken in four big pieces, tender and good, but also lacking any seasoning. He didn't complain, but I had his wing, so I could compare it with my fish. Over 45 years in Annapolis, I have heard many raves over this place and its crab cakes and salad bar. I know many locals are big fans, and we all have our favorite places for crab cakes. (I have about six.) This review is just my opinion, I am probably in the minority, and we can agree to disagree, right? My conclusion: if I am still alive in ten more years, we'll check...

Ok, ok, OhKay! 2 5star review in with in 3 months? I am not off my meds, I assure you. I have just experience culinary perfection. I know when some have said this it was just theatrics and dramatic flair. However there have been very few meals in my life that have garnered this much acclaim.

The @Edgewater_Restuarant is small (intimate), wood paneled (rustic). You get that family operated feeling that if you go twice in the same month you on a first name basis with the staff. This is all well and good but that ain't what gets you 5 stars in my book.

The FOOD! I'm a born and raised Marylander! And Proud of it. And favor a good crustacean dish, especially of the crab variety. And what I have discovered is the best Crab bisque by far! Rich and creamy it taste like liquid velvet with boulders of lump back-fin crabmeat! I will travel just for the soup!

For the entree was the typical fisherman's platter broiled not fried (nothing wrong with fried, but a good batter can hide an ok catch). I they told me: we saw you driving up and predicted your meal and immediately sent out a fisherman to retrieve them so by the time you ordered we could then began to cook them; I'd believe them and say thank you.

And th that's why they got 5...

I have fond memories of coming here with my Dad and remembered the food was great, but sadly those are only memories. The cream of crab soup was not good and not like any other cream of crab soup I've had - it was mostly bland, but the flavor it did have was not good. At least it did have lots of lumps of crab. The salad bar was super tiny, but not terrible. The crab imperial was the highlight of the meal, but it was no Fred's (if you remember that gem that was in Parole). I was most looking forward to the lump crab cakes and was most disappointed in the flavor. There were huge lumps of crab in it, which is awesome, but the flavor was nonexistent. Like zero flavor. And I don't know where the crab meat came from, but it wasn't sweet like Chesapeake Bay blue crabs I've had all my life. The service - our waitress was very nice, but she rushed us along with our order so fast I felt like I was in a cafeteria line giving my order as fast as I could. I understand being busy and wanting to get down to business, but jeeze, even the slightest bit of patience would have been appreciated. The wine was great. The rushed service and terrible food made a restaurant that I would normally recommend and seek out an abysmal experience. Won't be...