History
The crab pretzel is a relatively modern Maryland bar invention, marrying the soft pretzel to the region's crab dip. A large soft pretzel is opened flat, topped with a creamy blend of crab, cheese and Old Bay, and baked until the top browns. It spread through Baltimore taprooms and crab houses as the definitive shareable starter, and now turns up everywhere from neighbourhood bars to brewery taprooms.
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Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 large soft pretzel
- Half a pound blue crab meat
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- Quarter cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or a cheddar-jack blend
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Method
- Heat the oven to 190C and split the soft pretzel flat, laying it cut-side up on a tray.
- Beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Worcestershire and Old Bay together until smooth.
- Fold in the crab meat and half the shredded cheese, keeping the lumps intact.
- Spread the dip over the pretzel, top with the remaining cheese, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until bubbling and golden.
- Cut into wedges and serve hot.
Tip from the editors. Warm the pretzel before topping so it does not go leathery in the oven, and broil for the last minute for a browned, bubbling top.
Where to eat crab pretzel
Crab pretzel in Baltimore
Mama's on the Half Shell ★ 4.2
Mama's on the Half Shell on Canton Square is a neighbourhood crab-and-oyster house, working steamed crabs, oysters and a crab cake across two busy floors.
OrderA dozen steamed crabs in season, or the crab cake the rest of the year.
TipWeekend afternoons overflow with locals; ask for a seat upstairs or out on the patio.
LP Steamers ★ 4.4
LP Steamers in Locust Point is a classic two-storey crab house, steaming blue crabs heavy with Old Bay and serving a rooftop deck above Fort Avenue.
OrderA dozen heavy steamed crabs and a pitcher, eaten with mallets on the deck.
TipThe rooftop deck is the seat to ask for; bring cash and patience in peak crab season.
More places near Mama's on the Half Shell and LP Steamers
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- The Dara Thai, about 750 m away
- Rec Pier Chop House Italian, about 750 m away
- Thames Street Oyster House Seafood, about 850 m away
- NiHao Sichuan Chinese, about 900 m away
- Max's Taphouse New American, about 950 m away
- La Jetee French regional, about 1.0 km away
More cities are in research. Want crab pretzel covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.