It's hard to believe how few really good seafood restaurants are around in central Maryland. Most restaurants do serve seafood, especially crab cakes (not always done well), but few specialize. Hudson Coastal does, and they do an excellent job.
You will probably have your best experience mid-week, rather than the Saturday night we went that was made crazier by the Maple Lawn fireworks. The restaurants does not take reservations -- only call-ahead listings made within a half-hour of your expected arrival. I was skeptical, but we were seated within about 5-7 minutes of our arrival. Larger parties obviously waited longer. If you are seated in the bar area as we were, know that the metal chairs are charming but uncomfortable by the time you're finished your appetizers. In addition, this is a noisy restaurant. The owner stopped by several times (and was actively involved -- clearing tables, checking service, etc.), and we mentioned once that somewhere there's a talented interior designer who will specialize in acoustics for restaurants.
We ordered the fried clams for a shared appetizer. My friend ordered the crab cakes, adn I ordered the seafood platter with a crab cake, a cod filet, and grilled shrimp. Sides were French fries, a salad (substitute since my friend doesn't care for cooked spinach), the spinach, and sweet potato tater tots. I ordered a specialty cocktail with cucumber-infused vodka, lime, and soda.
The clams, crab cakes, and cod were winners. All fish comes fresh and local, or as local as possible, and is butchered on the premises, and shows and tastes it. The clams were tasty (breaded but not overwhelmed) and had the right texture. The crab cakes were seasoned perfectly and have minimal filler. The cod was done perfectly. The spinach was terrific, as were the tater tots and fries.
Two items gave this a ranking of 4 instead of 5. The shrimp were done 2 to a wooded skewer, and were overcooked, making them difficult to get off the skewer and making them tough. The cocktail had not been mixed thoroughly. I don't use straws, so my first tastes were pretty astringent.Only when I finally used a straw to get to the last portion through the ice did I taste the sweetness that should have been throughout the drink from the beginning.
Will we go back? Absolutely!
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