Kathy Emerson has been in the seafood industry for 28 years, and she brings her unique recipes and business savvy to the table as she co-owns and operates Bahama Mamas’ three locations at the beach. I visited the only waterfront crab house in Ocean City—Bahama Mamas South on Wicomico Street and the bayfront—with Joey and Nevaeh Steward. Kathy welcomed us to the downtown location, and gave us the inside scoop on the restaurant’s special recipes.
    A top seller at Bahama Mamas South is the Bahama Mama Melt, which is a melt-in-your-mouth concoction of Texas toast dipped and fried in egg batter and stuffed with crab imperial, provolone and American cheese, and tomato. Another crowd pleaser on the menu is the Stuffed Fried Hard Crab. Never heard of it? That’s because the Stuffed Fried Hard Crab is one-of-a-kind. The chef takes a jumbo steamed crab, stuffs it with a crab cake, dips it in beer batter, and deep fries it. You have to see it to believe it.
     One thing is certain about all three Bahama Mamas locations. Their “jumbo” crabs are truly the biggest crabs I’ve ever eaten. I was born and raised in Maryland, picking crabs since I was a little girl, and my jaw drops each time I order jumbo crabs at Bahama Mamas. Many vacationers enjoy All You Can Eat Crab Feasts, which includes Crabs, Maryland Crab Soup, Corn on the Cob, and BBQ Chicken for $28.99 for adults and $15.99 for kids 10 and under. However, if you’re truly a crab connoisseur, I recommend ordering the Jumbo Crabs by the dozen. The meaty crabs are sized by weight, not shell size, to ensure you get only the biggest of the big—all jumbo, no mumbo.
    The most popular entrée amongst the staff at Bahama Mamas is the Seafood Alfredo—shrimp, scallops, and jumbo lump crabmeat served over linguini. Kathy tells me it’s her favorite dish, and manager Brandi agrees. Brandi waited on our table and treated us to friendly, attentive service. Her smile is infectious, and she helped Nevaeh select the perfect Bahama Mamas T-shirt, a variety of which are on sale on the premises.
    Brandi started our meal by presenting three oversized cups of creamy, chunky Cream of Crab Soup. “This is made with jumbo claw meat,” commented Joey as he displayed a huge chunk of crabmeat falling off his spoon. We also munched on Oysters Rockefeller, Coconut Shrimp, Conch Fritters, BBQ Shrimp wrapped in Bacon, and Mushroom Caps stuffed with Crab Imperial. I ordered my favorite appetizer—Crab Pretzel—a cheesy, delicious baked pretzel topped with Crab Imperial.
    For our main course, we really indulged. Joey ordered the N.Y. Strip Combo, which includes a 14-ounce char grilled Steak with Flounder. I selected the Twin Lobster Tails topped with Crab Imperial. Nevaeh ordered the Crab Cake Platter. Each meal is perfection. While we savored our dinner, Kathy introduced us to the head chef, Tom Norkitis, who has been with Bahama Mamas since its first restaurant opened near Baltimore, Maryland, more than 15 years ago. “I remember when Brenda Golden wrote a ‘Best Bites’ article about Bahama Mamas around 1997,” recalls Tom. He presented us with the Stuffed Fried Hard Crab—the house specialty.
    Other delectable seafood entrées at Bahama Mamas include Rockfish, Orange Roughy, Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp, Sea Scallops, Oysters Imperial, Soft Crab Platter, Seafood Marina, Mussels Marinara, and more. Try the Chicken Chesapeake for a broiled chicken breast topped with crab imperial. Fish can be prepared fried, broiled, or blackened, and topped with crab imperial. For “Land Lubbers,” Bahama Mamas offers Ham Steak, Grilled Chicken Breast, Caribbean Jerk Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, and Chicken and Ribs.
    Bahama Mamas also serves up a variety of salads, including Garden, Tuna, Chicken, Shrimp, and Chef Salad Platters. A plethora of “Appateasers” include Fried Calamari, Grouper Fingers, Jumbo Lump Meat Cocktail, Shrimp Jammer Jalapeño, Fried Macaroni and Cheese, Jalapeño Poppers, Potato Skins, Clams Casino, Steamed Shrimp, Maryland Crab Dip, Caribbean Jerk Chicken, Crab Balls, Wings, Zucchini Sticks, Scallops wrapped in Bacon, Steamed Clams, Oysters on the half, Hush Puppies, Clam Strips, and much more.
    The menu goes on and on. From the Sandwiches selections, I suggest the Soft Crab Sandwich. The Crab Cake Sandwich is all jumbo lump. Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Filet of Flounder, BLTs, Grilled Cheese, Fried Oyster, Bahama Mama Club, Tuna Melt, and Grilled Chicken Breast are just a few more sandwiches. Try the Surf & Turf Sandwich for the best of both worlds—Roast Beef and Shrimp Salad on Rye Bread.
    All food at Bahama Mamas is made to order. Bahama Mamas stands out from other restaurants because of the bright, neon paint that distinguishes all three locations. Located downtown on Wicomico Street, Bahama Mamas South is two levels. The bar, stage, and expansive dining area are splattered with flashy colors. The indoor dining area on the second level boasts a glass wall of windows that directly overlooks the bay. Outside, a second-level deck descends down to a sandy-floored, ground-level deck that includes umbrella-covered tables, a tiki-style awning, colorful lights, palm trees, and a bar and stage. A long dock over the water boasts plenty of free boat docking and offers unparalleled views of Assateague Island and “Stinky Beach.”
    Happy Hour is every day at Bahama Mamas from noon until 6:00 p.m. Live music is outside from Thursday through Sunday. We were there this week for the Bahama Mama Sunday Show—a lively deck party including live music by Scotty, and games and giveaways at the bar. Bahama Mamas will have Labor Day and Bike Week festivities. The downtown location remains open through October, and the uptown 132nd Street location is open year-round. Also stop by Bahamas Crab Shack & Seafood Outlet in Fenwick Island for a cooler of crabs to go. How many spelling errors and one-liners can you spot on the restaurant’s marquee and menu? For more information, visit www.bahamamamasocmd.com <http://www.bahamamamasocmd.com/>  or call 410-289-0291.