The Crab Claw, one of St. Michaels, Maryland’s most recognizable seafood restaurants, will close for good at the end of its 2026 season.
The family-owned restaurant announced that 2026 will be its 61st and final season, bringing an end to a St. Michaels tradition that began in 1965.
The news is especially notable for Washington-area food lovers, as celebrity chef José Andrés has previously named The Crab Claw as one of his favorite places for seafood, saying its food “tastes like home.”
When is The Crab Claw closing?
The Crab Claw is currently open for its final season in 2026, with the restaurant’s own website confirming that this is its last season of operation. The restaurant’s closing announcement says the 2026 season runs from April 9 through October 2026, giving diners one final opportunity to visit the longtime St. Michaels landmark.
In a letter to customers, the restaurant said it hopes guests will join the team throughout the final season to celebrate the friendships, milestones and meals shared over the decades. The announcement also says reservations are currently open and asks guests to call 410-745-2900 to make a reservation. Groups of 20 or more can contact the restaurant and ask for Valerie.
The restaurant is currently open Wednesday through Monday beginning at 11am and closed Tuesdays, according to its website.
So if you have been meaning to make one more trip to The Crab Claw for a pile of Maryland blue crabs, a crab cake or a waterfront seafood meal, 2026 is the final chance.
Why is The Crab Claw closing?
The Crab Claw’s closing announcement does not give a specific reason for the decision, instead framing the closure around gratitude for its customers, employees and six decades as a St. Michaels institution.
The restaurant says that since opening in 1965, it has been shaped by generations of guests and employees and that it will forever cherish the memories created there.
There is, however, an important piece of recent history surrounding the property that does add some important context around why it might be closing.
In 2023, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM) acquired the property occupied by The Crab Claw.
At the time, CBMM said the acquisition would allow it to expand its waterfront campus and preserve historically significant properties in St. Michaels.
The restaurant was initially going to close following its 2023 season after the acquisition occurred, but following outcry and support from the community, the CBMM allowed the restaurant to continue operating with its original family owners still at the helm.
Whether or not the CBMM made the decision to close the restaurant or not is not currently clear, but in any case, the region is certainly losing an iconic local landmark.
What made The Crab Claw a regional landmark?
The Crab Claw’s history stretches back even further than its 1965 opening.
The business began in the 1950s as the Eastern Shore Clam Company, a clam and oyster shucking house where local watermen brought in oysters, clams and crabs.
Bill and Sylvia Jones transformed it into The Crab Claw restaurant in 1965, and the same family continued to operate it for generations.
Its location on the St. Michaels waterfront, classic Maryland seafood and casual crab-house atmosphere helped make it a destination for both locals and visitors.
The restaurant’s menu has long centered on steamed crabs, clams, oysters and crab cakes, while its waterfront setting became part of the experience.
The Crab Claw also became a fixture in the broader DMV Area food scene.
In a 2025 interview for The MICHELIN Guide, José Andrés singled out The Crab Claw in St. Michaels as one of his favorite places for simple, comforting seafood, explaining that its Maryland blue crabs “reminded him of home”.
And the restaurant’s reputation wasn’t limited to chefs.
The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema previously described The Crab Claw as a “barn-size landmark” and highlighted its steamed blue crabs, crab cakes, crab imperial and waterfront atmosphere. He noted that the restaurant could serve as many as 1,200 customers on a busy Saturday.
After more than six decades, The Crab Claw is now entering its final chapter.
For Maryland crab lovers, the 2026 season is one last opportunity to crack some crabs at a restaurant that helped define the St. Michaels waterfront.
