Hidden Harbour, Solomon’s, Calvert County, Maryland

I mentioned that on our last visit to Barrel 9, Nancy and I fell into conversation with the group at the next table and, as conversations in which I’m engaged often do, turned to restaurants. Hidden Harbour came up quickly, right after Buckets. There was talk about their crab cakes and, of course the Harbour Hot Dog, on which I reported here. A trip to Hidden Harbour naturally followed.

Nancy and I drove down for lunch on a Saturday, and found Hidden Harbour right where it’s supposed to be, at 14755 Dowel Road. I think. There are no actual numbers visible, but it’s there on the right, and since you’ll be driving very slowly on the bumpy gravel road, you’ll see it on the water right before a small swimming pool. Hidden Harbour is a small place, not much to look at from the outside,

but from inside and on the covered deck to the left, the view across the water of Zahnisers marina and La Vela is lovely.

We arrived and sat at one end of an 8-seat picnic bench — two other couples were at the other end. Nancy suggested a table on the landward side of the building, but I wanted the view and we sat of that deck on the left. There was a teeny problem with the noise from the kitchen vent. Teeny for me, anyway. Nancy commented on it more than once, and I have to confess that I had chosen the only two seats in the place with a real noise problem. But Nancy was a Real Trooper and sat it out.

The server arrived and promptly returned with water for both of us and, for me, a very cold beer, which made me rue that I’d not brought a koozie.

The crab cakes came with house-made chips that went well with their excellent (i.e., with noticeable horseradish) cocktail sauce. Nancy had some slaw with her’s, which she liked, and noted that as the excess dressing sank to the bottom, it was not overdressed, and let the cabbage shine. But you want to see the crab cakes. Here’s mine.

Let’s look under the hood — that beautifully buttery grilled bun. Swoon.

And now let’s take a peek inside.

Isn’t it beautiful? That is eight ounces of crabmeat with zero filler. None. Nada. And it is delicious, tender, and delicate with an almost musky, slightly buttery sweetness. It cost $30, which is a lot for a sandwich, but we recently paid $29 for a four-ounce crab cake, which is pretty standard for no-filler and light filler. Maryland crab is that good. Hidden Harbor is a comparative steal.

While we were waiting for our crab cakes the folks at the other end of the table had this whole snapper.

Well, the two women shared the fish. The two men had, respectively, a Cuban Reuben and the formidable Harbour Hot Dog. They all seemed very happy with their orders.

Hidden Harbour opens at 8:00 am for breakfast and closes early, at 7:00 pm. It caters to the many boaters, both local and international, who frequent the Chesapeake and dock in Solomons, and to local folks who love seafood. The atmosphere is very relaxed.

Well, not that relaxed, but people do loosen up by the water. That’s part of the point. The staff is very busy, but they maintain a friendly and casual manner. All in all, it’s a fine place to eat. I’m eager to head back to try breakfast, with some unusual offerings. And to try that whole snapper. And I met a lady who loves their catfish. And another crab cake, of course. You really should try it.

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