Restaurant Reviews: Hooper's Crab House of Ocean City, Maryland

Ocean City Maryland is a wonderful travel destination for any number of reasons. Of course there is the beach and the ocean itself to wonder at. And there are a number of tourist destinations one can visit. And let us not forget the boardwalk, which is great fun no matter which night one decides to try it out. However, definitely one of the most pronounced joys of going on vacation comes with trying out different restaurants and establishments and seeing which one has the best food. But, when it comes to Hooper's Crab House, located on 12913 Ocean Gateway, leaving Ocean City, perhaps the best strategy is to simply avoid it.

It's not that Hooper's is necessarily bad, it's just not very good. The restaurant is very from the outside, and the inside is also remarkably stylish and modern. There is a bar downstairs in an adjoining building, and the actual restaurant is on the top floor. However, as soon as one enters the building, perhaps the first thing to notice is remarkably long and seemingly unjustified waiting times. Reservations are routinely lost in the shuffle, and even calling ahead sometimes means an hour and a half wait.

It's hard to get an overall feel of the staff and employees. The bartenders generally seem fairly pleasant and easy to get along with, despite the rush of business that is usually there around dinner time. However, the wait staff never really makes the diner feel at home or comfortable, it often seems a rush to take the order as quick as possible and get the customer on their way. Of course, a lot of restaurants seem to embody this strategy, but when it comes to a fairly nice establishment (with upper-end prices) this is definitely not the environment that you want to eat in.

There are a decent amount of choices on the menu, and although many of them are the standard seafood fare, a couple of unique choices do jump out at several places across the menu. Sadly, no matter what one chooses, there really doesn't seem to be anything unique or inspiring about the food. The taste is generally bland, and it really doesn't feel as though a lot of time has gone into either preparing the meal or even giving a nice presentation of it on the plate. The food is definitely high quality, and no expense has been spared in that regard, it just doesn't seem like there has been much detail to making the food unique or standing out from many of the other seafood restaurants that one can find scattered throughout Ocean City. The portions are fairly small, and your chance of getting a refill on a drink (or even seeing your waitress again before the end of the meal) are slim to none. Although it is expected that a busier restaurant cannot attend to every customer personally, just a tad bit more attention would have gone a long way in making Hooper's a more pleasant dining experience.

However, there are a couple of saving graces that make Hooper's an interesting dining experience if nothing else. The restaurant is remarkably clean, and although this seems like a simple detail, it really can make a difference.

Although Hooper's definitely tries to create an enjoyable dining experience for those who go there for a meal, the thought is there, but not the execution. The service times are far too slow, the food is far too bland, and the overall environment just does not make one feel welcome. There are far better places to eat in Ocean City, and unless one is just hoping to have a pleasant drink and a quick bite at a clean bar, Hooper's should perhaps be avoided for some of the other seafood restaurants that surround Ocean City no matter where one looks.