Crab claw

What Crab claw does

The Crab Claw Restaurant is a family-owned and operated seafood restaurant located on the waterfront at Navy Point, 304 Burns Street, St. Michaels, Maryland. The business traces its origins to the 1950s as The Eastern Shore Clam Company, a clam and oyster shucking house; in 1965, owners Bill and Sylvia Jones converted it into a sit-down restaurant that has since become a local landmark. The restaurant is still under the same family ownership across multiple generations and currently employs approximately 12 people.

The business operates a single physical location serving fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood sourced directly from local watermen. The core offering is a multi-category menu (Appetizers, Raw & Steamed Seafood, Sandwiches, Entrees, Light Fare, and a Kids Menu) anchored on steamed crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, lobster, and "award-winning" crab cakes. Menu prices are publicly posted and range from roughly $8.50 (lowest appetizer) to $44.95+ (top entrees and market-priced whole lobsters/snow crab). The restaurant also books private events on a protected deck seating up to 110 guests, supporting corporate outings, rehearsal dinners, and crab-feast/buffet packages, with a full bar available for both daily service and events.

Revenue is generated entirely through on-premises consumption (dine-in and on-site private events) plus alcoholic beverage sales. The restaurant operates seasonally (open March through October), runs Wednesday through Monday from 11:00 AM, and is closed Tuesdays. There is no online ordering, no delivery, no app, no e-commerce, and no disclosed revenue figures. Reservations are taken by phone only (no email reservations). The company website indicates that the 2026 season is the restaurant's "final season," signaling an imminent wind-down of operations.

Name

Crab claw

Legal name

The Crab Claw Restaurant

Website

https://thecrabclaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Crab Claw is a family-owned, single-location waterfront seafood restaurant in St. Michaels, Maryland, operating seasonally since 1965 and serving Chesapeake Bay seafood, steamed crabs, and award-winning crab cakes to walk-in diners and private-event guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Restaurant

akta.pro primary industry

Steakhouses & Seafood Restaurants (THAFACAE)

Keywords

• Seafood restaurant
• Waterfront dining
• Chesapeake Bay seafood
• Private event hosting
• Maryland crab house

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Michaels

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: The Crab Claw operates as a traditional waterfront seafood restaurant generating revenue through dine-in service. Customers order from the menu featuring appetizers, raw and steamed seafood, sandwiches, and entrees. The restaurant also offers a full bar with alcoholic beverages.
2. Special Events and Private Dining: The restaurant hosts private events including corporate outings, rehearsal dinners, and special events. They offer customizable dining options including crab feasts and buffet services for groups of various sizes. A full bar is available for events.
3. Alcoholic Beverages: Full bar service available including wine list for regular dining and special events.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Crab Claw is a family-owned waterfront seafood restaurant in St. Michaels, Maryland, serving traditional Chesapeake Bay seafood including steamed crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, lobster, award-winning crab cakes, sandwiches, and full entrees, alongside a full bar with wine list. The restaurant also hosts private events such as corporate outings, rehearsal dinners, and group celebrations on a protected deck seating up to 110 guests with customizable crab feast and buffet options.

Product overview

The Crab Claw is a landmark seafood restaurant located in St. Michaels, Maryland, operating since 1965. The restaurant offers a single, unified dining experience centered on fresh Chesapeake Bay seafood. Its product portfolio consists of a comprehensive menu organized into categories: Appetizers (soups, salads, and small plates), Raw & Steamed Seafood (crabs, oysters, clams, shrimp, lobster), Sandwiches (crab cakes, fish sandwiches, burgers), Entrees (full seafood plates with sides), and Light Fare (lighter seafood options). The restaurant also provides special events and private dining services for groups up to 110 guests. The 2026 season is announced as the final season of operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Appetizers Starter menu items including Clams Casino, Oysters Casino, Chilled Shrimp Cocktail, Lump Crabmeat Cocktail, Fried Crab Balls, Grilled Tuna, Clam Strips, Fried Shrimp, Fried Oysters, Chicken Wings, Mozzarella Sticks, Crab Dip, Maryland Crab Soup, Cream of Crab Soup, and various salads. Priced from $8.50 to $16.95.
• Raw & Steamed Seafood Fresh steamed and raw seafood including Maryland Blue Crabs, Oysters on the half shell, Cherrystone Clams, Steamed Spiced Shrimp, Whole Maine Lobster, and Snow Crab Clusters. Pricing ranges from $13.95 (steamed shrimp 1/2 lb) to $29.00 (large shrimp 1 lb), with Whole Maine Lobster and Snow Crab Clusters priced at market.
• Sandwiches Sandwich options served with French fries and homemade coleslaw, including Lump Crab Cake (broiled or fried), Fried Soft Crab, Crab or Shrimp Salad, Fried Oyster Sandwich ($20.95), Fried Flounder Sandwich ($18.95), Salmon Avocado BLT ($28.95), Tuna Steak, Cheeseburger, Beyond Burger, Crab Dog, Grilled Chicken Breast, and Crab Fluff.
• Entrees Main courses served with two sides (coleslaw, potato salad, stewed tomatoes, French fries, green beans, applesauce, baked potato, or vegetable of the day), including Waterman's Seafood Sampler, The Claw's Seafood Sampler, Crab Imperial, Crab Cakes, Fresh Soft Crabs, Bay Scallops, Oyster Chesapeake ($44.95), Fried Oysters ($33.95), Fried Shrimp ($31.95), Fried Chicken ($26.95), Fresh Flounder ($25.95), Local Rockfish ($34.95), Fresh Salmon, and Catch of the Day.
• Special Events & Private Dining Private event hosting including corporate outings, rehearsal dinners, and special events on the protected waterfront deck dining area that comfortably seats 110 guests. Offers full bar service and customizable dining options including crab feasts and basic seafood buffet services for groups of various sizes.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chart House: Landry's-owned waterfront seafood restaurant chain with comparable prime-waterfront, sunset-dining experience and full bar; broader incumbent operating multiple locations versus Crab Claw's single site.
• McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks: National seafood-and-steak full-service chain with overlapping menu categories (raw bar, steamed seafood, crab cakes); not waterfront-Chesapeake-themed but functionally comparable casual-upscale seafood operator.
• Legal Sea Foods: Established multi-unit East Coast seafood chain with comparable full-service seafood menu including steamed crabs and raw bar; broad-based incumbent overlapping in category but operating at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• The Boat House Restaurant: Maryland waterfront restaurant group offering Chesapeake Bay views, seafood-centric menu, and boat-access dining — comparable waterfront dining format targeting similar tourist and boating guests.
• Mike's Crab House: Long-running Maryland waterfront crab house offering steamed crabs, crab cakes, and casual seafood dining for boaters and families, directly comparable in menu and customer experience.
• Cantler's Riverside Restaurant: Family-owned waterfront Maryland seafood restaurant on the Chesapeake Bay serving steamed crabs, oysters, and crab cakes to boaters and drive-in guests in a comparable casual sit-down setting.
• The Crab House Maryland: Maryland-based crab house concept serving steamed crabs, seafood platters, and traditional Maryland fare in a casual setting — directly comparable in core menu and target experience.
• Harrison's Chesapeake House: Eastern Shore Maryland seafood institution serving local Chesapeake Bay catch in a casual sit-down format, broadly comparable as a tourist waterfront destination with multi-decade heritage.
• Captain's Row Restaurant: Direct local competitor in St. Michaels, MD offering waterfront Chesapeake seafood dining with comparable casual sit-down service and tourist clientele.

Regional players

• Saltline / Coastal Flats (Chesapeake Bay Foundation vendor base): Regional Greater D.C./Mid-Atlantic seafood-focused full-service restaurant with comparable raw-bar and steamed-shellfish menu targeting a similar Eastern-seaboard casual seafood diner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thecrabclawrestaurant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crab-claw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crab claw