Wild blue Gulf or Atlantic shrimp boiled in Old Bay seasoning and served chilled with cocktail sauce, a beer-and-newspaper plate at every DC seafood counter.
Old Bay seasoning was developed by Gustav Brunn, a German-Jewish refugee who arrived in Baltimore in 1939 with little more than a hand-cranked spice grinder. He started the Baltimore Spice Company in a Light Street basement; Old Bay (named for the Old Bay Line steamship that ran the Chesapeake) launched the same year. The blend of celery salt, paprika, mustard, bay leaves, black pepper and red pepper became the regional seasoning for steamed crabs, but in DC kitchens it travelled to shrimp boils, fries and cocktails. McCormick acquired Old Bay in 1990; the recipe is unchanged.
2 editor picks for Old Bay shrimp in Washington DC, ranked by editorial score. All Washington DC signature dishes · Old Bay shrimp across every city.
The Salt Line ★ 4.5
navy-yard · 79 Potomac Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
The Salt Line in Washington DC is the Navy Yard New England-style seafood room overlooking Diamond Teague Park, with Connecticut-style lobster rolls.
Maine Avenue Fish Market ★ 4.4
1100 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024
Maine Avenue Fish Market in Washington DC is the Southwest Waterfront open-air seafood market on Maine Avenue, the oldest continuously-operating open-air.