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By The Docks, Middle River, MD

By The Docks

4.6
4.6
1978 Reviews
$30 and under
Seafood
3321 Eastern Blvd, Middle River, MD 21220

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2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 24 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
Maryland is famous for it's crab cakes, and By The Docks is known for it's eight-ounce Colossal Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. Discover the fresh ingredients and outstanding seafood, steaks, and pasta's prepared by our chefs. Our menu includes various items from baby back ribs, slow roasted prime rib, hand cut steaks,and specialty sauteed dishes. Every sauce, soup and dressing is made from scratch. By The Docks welcomes families and large groups. Make reservations or call ahead for express carry out.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch & Dinner Mon–Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Alex Morris
  • Catering
    Please contact Rachel Paulino @ 443)475-0071
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact Rachel Paulino @ 443)475-0071 to book your party.
  • Neighborhood
    Essex
  • Cross street
    Bengies Rd.
  • Parking details
    Plenty of parking on premises with handicap accessibility.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,978 people are saying

By The Docks reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Baltimore Suburbs

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
By The Docks offers a delightful dining experience with "excellent food and service." Known for "Baltimore's best crab cakes," the restaurant provides "large portions" and a friendly atmosphere. While it can be "noisy" at times, the attentive service and "great Baltimore neighborhood feel" make it a popular choice for locals and visitors alike.
1,978 Reviews
  1. Steve

    Baltimore6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice menu options and food was great. Nice weekly special. Waiter was one of the best around.
    By The DocksResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much, Steve! 💙 We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the menu, the weekly specials, and had such a great experience with your server. We’ll be sure to pass the compliment along to our team! Can’t wait to have you back again soon for another great meal at By The Docks! 🦀🍽️

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  2. Amanda

    Baltimore18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was great, Our waitress was wonderful. This is one of our favorites go to spots
    By The DocksResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much, Amanda! 💙 We’re so happy to hear you had a great meal and wonderful service. It means a lot to know we’re one of your favorite go-to spots! We can't wait to see you again soon for more good food and good times. 🦀✨

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  3. Stephen H

    Baltimore1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I have wanted to go to Brunch at By the Docks for quite a while, and today was the day. Overall, I was pleased with the food selections although at our 10 AM arrival time the scrambled eggs weren't terribly warm. I saw the server finally get some lids to put over the trays of food and that should have helped the eggs get warmer for others. I wished for toast or English muffins or regular muffins to eat with my bacon and eggs in addition to the very large biscuits available for the chipped beef gravy and the sausage gravy. What happened to the eggs benedict? Are you saving money somehow by removing most of the white so there was really only a small "frame" around the yolk? We both were amused by that feature. Our bill came to $93 which included the 18% gratuity. Abner was our waiter and he was personable and on-the-ball. I hope he was the one to get the whole 18% . He greeted us and brought coffee (which was an extra charge), explained the omelet process. checked on us several times and brought the bill when requested. My husband appreciated that the bill specifically said "Additional tip" beyond the automatic gratuity so that he didn't make the mistake of tipping beyond the automtatic 18% which he has done by mistake in the past at other restaurants.
    By The DocksResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback, Stephen! 💬 We’re thrilled you finally made it out for brunch with us and that you had a positive overall experience. We're also happy to hear that Abner took such great care of you—he’s truly one of the best, and we’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to him! We appreciate your honest thoughts about the food setup and selections. Your notes about the scrambled eggs, toast options, and eggs benedict are really helpful as we continue to make improvements. We're always looking for ways to make our brunch even better, and feedback like yours helps us do exactly that. Thank you again for visiting and sharing your experience — we hope to welcome you back soon for another great meal! 🦀🍳

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  4. Marie

    Orlando15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 13, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Large portions, excellent food, friendly service. Great value
    By The DocksResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much, Marie! 💙 We're so glad you enjoyed the large portions, delicious food, and friendly service. It means a lot to hear you felt it was a great value too! We can't wait to have you back again soon for another meal at By The Docks. 🦀✨

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  5. Anne

    Washington DC10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server, Abner, was phenomenal and very attentive.
    By The DocksResponded 2 days ago
    Thank you so much, Anne! 💙 We're thrilled to hear Abner made your experience so special—he truly is a rockstar on our team! We’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Can’t wait to have you back at By The Docks again soon! 🦀✨

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  6. Lisa

    Baltimore2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Sue was our waitress. She was wonderful and made our evening fun. She’s great!
    By The DocksResponded on April 9, 2025
    Aw, we love hearing this! 😊 Sue really is the best—she has a way of making every visit feel special, and we're so glad she helped make your evening a fun one. Thanks for taking the time to share, and we hope to see you again soon! 💙🦀

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  7. Barbara

    Baltimore19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love By the Docks. This trip was not disappointing. We brought my mother here for first time and she loved it. The food was awesome and, as always, the portions were generous. Our service was superb.
    By The DocksResponded on April 9, 2025
    This just made our day—thank you! 💙 We're so happy to hear you had another great visit and that your mom loved her first time with us! Nothing makes us happier than hearing the food hit the mark and the service was spot on. Thanks for bringing the fam, and we can’t wait to have you all back again soon!

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  8. Carolyn

    Baltimore1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had 7 adults in my party and everyone had a wonderful experience and excellent food.

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  9. TeresaG

    Washington DC4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I am from Baltimore and the crab cakes at By the Docks are the best in town!! My friend Linda introduced me to them a few years ago and I’m so glad she did! Baltimore feel, great Baltimore crab cakes. By the Docks has a great Baltimore neighborhood feel and great crab cakes.
    By The DocksResponded on April 9, 2025
    This means so much—thank you! 💙 Coming from a fellow Baltimore local, that’s the ultimate compliment. We’re so glad Linda introduced you to us and that our crab cakes (and that classic Baltimore feel!) keep you coming back. Hope to see you again soon for another round of crab cake goodness!

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  10. adam VIP

    Baltimore25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service as always. Cant wait to go back!
    By The DocksResponded on April 9, 2025
    Thank you so much! 💙 We're so happy to hear you had another great experience with us—there's nothing better than amazing food and service you can count on. We can’t wait to have you back soon!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

By The Docks does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now. By The Docks also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (410) 686-1188.

By The Docks is rated 4.6 stars by 1978 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Baltimore / Maryland
  4. Baltimore Suburbs
  5. Essex

Make a reservation


Booked 24 times today
Google Map for By The Docks

3321 Eastern Blvd, Middle River, MD 21220

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Bengies Rd.
  • Neighborhood
    Essex
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 10:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch & Dinner Mon–Sat 11:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Steak, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Plenty of parking on premises with handicap accessibility.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Alex Morris
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Please contact Rachel Paulino @ 443)475-0071
  • Private party facilities
    Please contact Rachel Paulino @ 443)475-0071 to book your party.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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