The Emerald Tavern's steamed shrimp are mighty good! Prepared in the MD-classic style with Old Bay and served with cocktail sauce that has some good horseradish in it.

The Hamilton Tavern's shrimp were good as well. They prepared them differently, and its been like six weeks since I had it, so I'm a little fuzzy over how they were prepared. No Old Bay or cocktail sauce, but still they were very good. I seem to remember a little garlic in there somewhere.

oh, and while I'm at it, Putty Hill Station (now McAvoy's) had some good steamed shrimp as well. They included onion slices and thin potato slices in their steam and served them with the shrimp.

Not sure if McAvoy's still does that, and I'm not sure I want to go back. I was there at 7:30 with my fiancee and were meeting my sister there. We wanted to have dinner before the band started. Well, they charge a cover at 7:30 even for dinner patrons when the band doesn't start until 10pm or so.

I like Adam and wish him and his family well, but that's uncool.

No list can be complete on this one without ocean pride. Shrimp, oysters, mussells and clams, very simply prepared. Best steamed shrimp around, and great place to knock back a few cold ones to wash it down. it is the raw bar of all raw bars.

The City Cafe has some great mussels. I also had some good ones at Kissling's.

Pickled parrot in canton has great mussels in a large black caraffe with great italian bread and lots of white whine butter broth.

Why does it not surprise me that a bar in Canton would have a white whine broth?

John Stevens (steamed shrimp; and mussels in white wine garlic sauce)

Koopers (steamed shrimp)

Duda's (steamed shrimp - warning - not steamed with old bay, but still very good and spicy, they steam it with peppercorn thingys)

Ponca Bird (steamed shrimp)

The best steamed shrimp I ever had was at the now-long-closed The Globe on Key Highway. They served it with onions and potatoes, with just the right balance of Old Bay, and it was the most perfect thing I ever had in Charm City.

Recently had some awesome thai mussels at Three. Nice portion size too. Canton Dockside has some good steamed shrimp...although they are pretty outrageously priced.

Beer mussels at Mama's on the Half Shell: chorizo, mussles, shrimp and onions steamed w/beer, tomatoes and something spicy. This is usually our go-to spot for shells when we are too lazy to do our own steaming or shucking or mixing of our own drinks.

I also have to ask if anyone else has experienced the decline in quality of the mussels at Bertha's? Our last few visits have yielded shriveled and dried mussels, as if they were steamed earlier in the day and microwaved for each order.

There is a bar in Ocean City down by the Talbot St. piers that serves some of the most perfect steamed shrimp I have ever eaten. Only went there once a few years ago - but they were absolutely perfect. Simply prepared with old bay and the shell still on I could have eaten 10lbs. And no, I cannot for the life of me remember the place's name. I suck, I know.

Bryan,
Its the place across from M.R. Ducks? That is a restaurant whose name escapes me too. Or is it M.R. Ducks?

It's near MR Ducks, it's similarly set up tho if I recall there is a restaurant section, too.

Bryan,
The Angler perhaps?

Ocean Pride is definitely the best. Not because I use to sling drinks there. A close second would be Kirby's on 94th st down O C.