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��� Fancy Flair? No. Upscale Fare? No. Playground daycare? No. One of the best places to take your family and friends in Ocean City to eat? Yes! Absolutely yes! In fact, one of the best things about Crab Alley, on the corner of Sunset Ave.and Golf Course Road just across from the Harbor in West Ocean City, is that they don�t add all the fancy stuff. Simplicity... that�s the ticket! And they do it so well! Let�s start with the simple nautical decor, enough to give the flavor of the fisherman�s life without being gaudy. Then to the simple rooms and� tables. Not fancy or crowded with nick nacks and such but with lots of room and choices for whatever your dining preference.
��� Three dining areas downstairs have tables and booths separated by high backs� and side walls for lots of cool, air-conditioned privacy. The upstairs dining area by the bar, (better known as the Water Hazard Lounge where Friday is the night for live entertainment), is more open with a full view of the harbor. If you prefer outdoor dining, there are outside tables street-side enjoying full sun advantage or an option on the upper deck with overhead cover and fans also overlooking the harbor. Yes, less is more.
��� So now, let�s talk about the very best thing Crab Alley does simply... the food. Yes, Crab Alley�s fare is simple, simple and terrific! What is not simple, however, is making a choice for there are so many. Lots of crab, mussels, wings, oysters, clams and shrimp done just about every way you love plus Seafood Skins and Smoked Fish, and that�s just the appetizers! The Oyster Roast is a favorite as either an app of 15 or an entr�e of 30 or even 60! Big Salads and Homemade soups round up the starters at the Alley and that�s where my adventure began.
��� No matter how warm out I like to start off with a little cup of soup to get my tastebuds tingling. Crab Alley offers Maryland Vegetable, a wonderful Jambalaya and my choice, of course, their famous Cream of Crab. And famous it should be. Once again, simplicity is the key and they have the key and the lock on this one! Finally, a cream of� crab that brought me back to the good ol� days. No overpowering spices or spicey heat, just the full, delicious flavors of sweet, fresh crab meat and fresh cream in a pure and simple and lusciously rich and dreamy soup. Yes, less is more!
��� I also couldn�t pass up trying Crab Alley�s Japanese Shrimp just for something different. A thin coating of panko batter fried to a crunchy brown surrounds a jumbo - and I mean a� big, fat, tender, juicy jumbo! - shrimp. Served with a Thai Chili Sauce, this tidbit was a crunchy, sweet, chili kickin� delight!
��� Fresh Fish Catches are offered daily at Crab Alley but get there early to make sure you get your favorite before they run out! I was a little disappointed that I missed out on the Mahi-Mahi, (Tuna and Salmon were still available), but disappointment turned to delightful bliss as I took the first bite of my alternate choice!
��� Now Crab Alley offers just about any entr�e you�d like done any way you�d like from Crab Cakes, Soft Crabs and Crab Imperial to Shrimp to Oysters to Fish to Lobster Tails to Imperial Stuffed with any of the above, to a complete Feast of almost all the above. Then there�s Ribs, Filet Mignon, Chicken, Sirloin, and Steamed Lobster, King Crab Legs, Shrimp or Snow Crab or even a Steamer Combination, and of course, there�s always the All-U-Can-Eat Crabs!
��� My favorite is the Create Your Own Combination, which is exactly what I did. I opted for Broiled Scallops and a 10 oz. Sirloin. Man, let me tell ya... the scallops were the absolute freshest, best tasting I�ve ever eaten! Again, prepared very simply with just a dash of Old Bay and that�s it. Very large and soooo fresh, these sweet babies were buttery smooth and melt-in-your-mouth tender; sooo rich and succulent! I was so enraptured that I almost ignored the thick slab of beef beside them but I�m glad I didn�t. My Sirloin was thick and full-flavored, simply grilled to absolute perfection. And I mean to perfection. I asked for my steak to be prepared �medium rare, more to the rare side� and it was cooked exactly medium rare, more to the rare! I was amazed!
��� Crab Alley serves all entr�es with two sides and a basket of fresh rye rolls. Boy were they good! And how about those hushpuppies?! That�s one of the sides I chose and they were just scrumptious! Just a quick little crunch before you sink into the sweet tender bread inside. So yummy! Simple and simply delicious.
��� Did someone say dessert? Well Crab Alley tempts with a fabulous array of delectable Smith Island cakes, such as German Chocolate and Carrot Cake, that you just can�t resist and neither could I! The Chocolate Layer Cake was the winner for me, the chocolate so luscious and the cake so moist and smooth it hardly seemed like cake at all but a rich confection to tantalize and delight any sweet tooth! See, simple, old fashioned desserts that are the best!
��� By the by, the service was simply the best as well. Friendly, informative, unintrusive, with no airs and no unnecessary commentary. And the bus boys were the best - swift and silent and never let a finished dish clutter the table!
��� Yes, yes, yes, Less is definitely More for sure when you go to Crab Alley! No fancy frills and no high priced chills, just good, happy people and dishes with good, simple foods that are, (and I think this is the key here), simply fresh, simply seasoned, and simply terrific!�
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