Maryland is famous for its blue crabs, but the state’s food scene offers much more than just seafood. From classic comfort food to old family recipes and beloved roadside snacks, Maryland dishes are packed with flavor and local tradition. Here are 15 must-try foods that show off the true taste of Maryland.
Maryland Crab Cakes
This is Maryland’s most famous dish for a reason. Real crab cakes here are all about the meat—big chunks of blue crab, barely held together with crumbs or filler, and usually seasoned with a little Old Bay. They’re pan-fried until golden and crispy on the outside but still soft and juicy in the middle. Whether you eat it with tartar sauce or on a sandwich, it’s seafood perfection.
Smith Island Cake
This rich dessert is Maryland’s official state cake and comes with a serious wow factor. It has multiple thin layers—sometimes as many as ten—stacked with fudge or buttery icing between each one. The result is sweet, moist, and incredibly satisfying. This cake comes from the tiny island of Smith Island, where recipes are passed down like family treasures, and every slice feels like something made with love.
Steamed Blue Crabs
A crab feast in Maryland isn’t just about the food—it’s an event. Piles of bright red crabs are dumped onto newspaper-covered tables, seasoned with Old Bay, and cracked open by hand. You’ll get messy, you’ll eat slowly, and you’ll love every minute of it. The sweet, tender meat is worth the effort, and the whole experience is a true Maryland tradition that brings people together.
Pit Beef Sandwich
Baltimore’s answer to barbecue is pit beef—bottom round roast cooked over charcoal until the outside is smoky and the inside stays juicy and pink. It’s sliced thin and piled onto a kaiser roll, usually with onions and horseradish sauce. The flavor is bold and beefy, and the contrast of crispy edges and tender middle makes this sandwich stand out from anything you’ll find elsewhere.
Chicken Chesapeake
This dish takes comfort food to the next level. It’s a grilled or baked chicken breast topped with creamy crab dip—yes, crab on chicken. It’s rich, savory, and full of Maryland flavor. You’ll usually find it at local restaurants that want to give their menu a seafood twist, and it’s a perfect example of how Marylanders love putting crab into just about anything.
Berger Cookies
These thick, cakey cookies come from Baltimore and are topped with a massive layer of rich, fudgy chocolate. The cookie itself is soft and simple, almost like a little vanilla cake, but the icing steals the show. It’s glossy, sweet, and piled on so thick it feels like you’re eating two desserts at once. People often buy them by the box because just one is never enough.
Soft Shell Crab Sandwich
Instead of just the meat, this sandwich features the whole crab—legs and all—fried until crispy and tucked into a bun. It might look a little intense at first, but the taste is amazing: crunchy, salty, and slightly sweet. Soft-shell crab is only available in season, so when it shows up on menus in late spring and early summer, locals won’t hesitate to order it.
Stuffed Ham (Southern Maryland Style)
This holiday favorite comes from St. Mary’s County and has roots going back generations. It’s a spicy dish where a whole ham is stuffed with a mix of greens like kale or cabbage, plus lots of pepper and seasonings. After being boiled and sliced, it’s bold, salty, and completely unique. If you get the chance to try it at a church dinner or family gathering, don’t pass it up.
Old Bay Wings
While Buffalo wings are popular everywhere, Maryland does them with a twist—by using Old Bay seasoning instead of just hot sauce. The wings are either fried or baked, then tossed with butter and that signature spice blend that locals love on just about everything. The result is tangy, a little spicy, and totally addictive. They’re a favorite at sports bars, especially when the Ravens are playing.
Corn on the Cob (Eastern Shore Style)
Summers in Maryland mean roadside stands selling fresh-picked sweet corn, often grilled or steamed and smothered in butter. On the Eastern Shore, some folks like to add a sprinkle of Old Bay for an extra kick. It’s simple, fresh, and bursting with flavor—and when it’s eaten outdoors with crabs or barbecue, it tastes like the perfect end to a sunny day.
Scrapple
This pan-fried breakfast meat isn’t for everyone, but it’s deeply loved by many in the mid-Atlantic. Made from pork scraps, cornmeal, and spices, it’s sliced into thick squares and fried until crisp on the outside and soft inside. People eat it with eggs or syrup, depending on whether they want salty or sweet. Maryland diners often serve it up with pride, especially in rural areas.
Crab Pretzel
A warm, soft pretzel covered in creamy crab dip and melted cheese might sound over the top—but that’s what makes it amazing. It’s gooey, salty, and perfect for sharing, though you probably won’t want to. This popular bar snack shows how Maryland turns even simple foods into something rich, cheesy, and full of crabby goodness. It’s a favorite for happy hour or game day.
Rockfish (Striped Bass)
Locally known as rockfish, this firm, mild fish is the state fish of Maryland and is often caught fresh in the Chesapeake Bay. Whether it’s grilled, broiled, or baked, it holds up well to all kinds of seasonings and sauces. Restaurants near the water often feature it on the menu, and many locals even fish for it themselves. It’s clean-tasting and a true staple of coastal dining.
Cream of Crab Soup
This creamy, indulgent soup is full of crab meat, cream, butter, and a dash of Old Bay. Unlike Maryland’s other crab soup, which is tomato-based and veggie-heavy, this version is smooth, rich, and perfect on a chilly day. Some places swirl in a little sherry on top for an extra layer of flavor. Every spoonful is comforting and packed with that unmistakable Maryland crab taste.
Lemon Stick at Flower Mart
A childhood favorite for many Marylanders, the lemon stick is exactly what it sounds like—a peppermint stick stuck into half a lemon. You suck the juice through the candy stick, and the combination of sweet mint and sour lemon is surprisingly refreshing. It’s mostly found at the Baltimore Flower Mart each spring, but people still talk about it all year long because of the memories it brings back.
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