Angelina's changed hands a couple of years ago. The new owner brought in poker machines and replaced a lot of the old staff. The old neighborhood vibe of the place was gone. It was just a matter of time. :-(

Angelina's was for sale a few (less than 5) years ago. At that time, something about the crabcakes was sold separately. I met the person who claimed to have bought that portion (were crabcakes a takeout thing? Did they cater?) of the business at some sort of meet & greet, which is how I know any of this.

I live relatively near Angelina's and have walked the dog past. I could never tell whether or not they're open.

Not surprised. After the new owners took over a couple of years ago, it was AWFUL. Sorry for the caps, but it really was one of the worst dining experiences I ever had.

Back in the day, this was a place worth waiting for a table and the owners were just terrfiic. When a family friend, who swore by their crab cakes and stuffed shrimp, passed away, they not only sent food, but attended some of his services. You walked into the place and just sensed that's just how they were. *sigh*

Here's a question for those smarter than me. Ever see a restaurant that has been closed for a long time and the lights are still on 24 hours a day? I'm thinking of Petalo's which replaced Luigi Petti's. When did they close? a year or more ago? The big lit signs on Eastern Avenue have been burning ever since.

Something replaced Luigi Petti? Was it opened for more than a day, Owl? Seriously, I don't recall ever hearing anything about it. I guess someone is paying their jumbo sized BG&E bill so you'd think they'd turn the signs off.

Had the best crabcake there the night before we closed on our house in Hamilton (about 5 years ago). When back a few months later and it was terrible.

I've got my fingers crossed that it gets turned into something fabulous!

LP's replacement didn't last long, maybe six months, maybe less. I think it opened around May 2007 and was gone by September.

That reminds me of when the Boulevard Theater at Greenmount and 33rd closed and seemed to be showing I'm Gonna Git You Sucka for five years.

my grandmother gave me the angelina's crabcake recipe years ago. i think it may have been printed in the sun, or maybe even the news american. it has baking soda in it to get it to puff up a bit.

i need to dig through her box (an old j&b scotch box, lol) and try to find that. forgot i had it.

i will also miss the meatball subs from angelina's. they cut a loaf of marantos italian bread in half and did it the old way. they hollowed out the loaf, dunked the middle of the bread in sauce and then stuffed it back into the opening of the loaf to keep the meatballs in inside. i loved when sub shops did that too. that sauced bread was the best part.

The closing isn't terrible, the sale a few years ago was. Maybe the current owner will receive a high position in the government, as incompetence is usually rewarded that way.

Gina, you'd probably like the large meatball subs at DiPasquale's.

Gina, you can still get that meatball sub at Mastellone"s just across Harford Road from Angelina's. I know, I had one this past week. YUM

I would be curious when the last time a restaurants recipes were sold at auction in Baltimore.

I actually saw I'm Gonna Git You Sucka at the Boulevard Theater. It was something I will never forget. A fight, kids setting off fireworks, a woman in front of me warning people not to put their feet on the floor because, "The last time I was here there were meeses and roaches all over the floor."
Good times.

Lissa! I read that bread & sauce description thinking, "I've seen someone do that!"

Angelina's even shipped their crab cakes around the country. From what I understand, whoever was doing the crabcake shipping was using the original recipe.

It is a shame that the place went downhill after its sale, but at least there is another great crabcake to be had on Harford Road. - Koco's.

For the Meatball sub comment. You can literally walk across Harford Road to Mastellones Deli ( now owned by DiPasquale's) for the hallowed out half italian loaf meatball sub. Ah, its so good! :)

Spent many an evening tin the Shebeen drinkin Tully and Guiness.. but the place went downhill after Bob Reilly died - it was never the same-
Interesting story _ Bob once took his crab cake to San Francisco and entered it in a crab cake contest ....came in dead last - go figure

My mom and dad used to take my sisters and I there twice a month back in the 60's. We used to order the spaghetti and meatballs almost every time we went there. Then later on we used to order a crab cake platter that was better than Bo Brooks. Angelina's is another Baltimore landsite that has lost it's luster and gone out of business. It's a shame new owners had to come and ruin a great establishment. They will never be forgotten I know that but time marches on and we will always find another place to dine out even though they will never replace Angelina's. If you want to find another good crab cake try the Barn on Harford Road next to Wendy's or Pappas Restaurant on Taylor Ave. and Oakleigh Rd.

In 2005, with the future of the restaurant uncertain, "Angelina's of Maryland" was formed to continue making the famous crab cakes available through nationwide mail order. We created www.crabcake.com and became a completely separate business from the restaurant at that time. However we continue to make the crab cakes exactly as they were at the restaurant and as taught to us by several generations of former owners. Sadly, the restaurant itself has been closed since October of 2008.

I've lately become leery of ordering crabcakes in almost any restaurant, as they're increasingly made with the relatively tasteless (but pretty) Asian crabmeat.

thanks for the suggestions on where to get a meatball sub done the "right" way, lissa and bart. that will be on my "to do" list.

my grandparents were good friends with andrew, the original owner of mastellone's, but i have only been there a few times since it was sold. since i live downtown, only a few blocks from trinacria, i seldom venture over that side of town. but now i think it is time for a road trip.

my grandparents went to a dinner at andrew's house back in the 1950's and my grandmother said it was one of the best meals she ever had.

once we moved from northeast baltimore to ellicott city in the late '60's, i never saw anyone make meatball subs with the bread pulled out. i probably had the one at angelina's about 10 years ago.

thanks again for letting me know where to get the sub. i am so excited ;)

Joseph Kunigonis, thnaks for clearing that crabcake question up for us.

RIP. Yet another classic Baltimore fixture ruined.

I remember the owner, Bob Reilly and his sister, Sally. Both from the old 10th ward in Balto. The benches in the upstairs bar were from old St John's Church. He also had the candle stick lighters on the wall. I had many a good time in there. I also remember Tommy Knott and Pat Rooney who were bartenders in the Pub

Harford Rd had many good eating places. I will always remember the Linway Lounge's Shrimp Salad Sandwich,it could serve 2.

The Linway is gone? Its been quite a few years since I have been in there, but that shrimp salad sandwich was the best.

The Linway Lounge still shows up in street view on Google Maps, and it was still open as of October 2008, per this blog review.

Anyone know anything about the closing of Nick's Fish House? All the lights are still burning (even on the POS systems) but the place is shut up tight.

Thanks for the tip. I'll try to check it out. (Closings are tough.) EL

Isn't it ironic that a blog about Angelina's restaurant would have a comment about the Linway's shrimp salad . A bartender at the Linway named 'Big Lou' created that shrimp salad with the huge hunks of shrimp and perfect seasoning. Some nights, back in the 60s, when he made a batch he would bring a pint down to one of his best friend's, Joe Tadduni, who along with his wife Angelina was one of the four original owners of Angelina's Restaurant.