Obrycki's History

Obrycki's Crab House and Seafood Restaurant is located on land that was part of the original William Fell estate, in the area known as historic Fells Point. The corner building at 1729 East Pratt Street was built in 1851 and the adjoining building was built the following year.

A gentleman named Charly Wedig opened a tavern at the original site in 1865 where soldiers quartered at the Union Camp of the 7th Maine Regiment at Patterson Park occasionally stopped in for a beer at the end of a long day. From 1866 until Prohibition in 1920, there were several different tavern owners, the most notable being George Gunther of the Gunther Brewing Company.

In 1944, Melvin Alexander purchased the property, and together with his brothers-in-law, Mitch, Joe, and Eddie Obrycki, ran a bar operation. Eventually, they decided to expand their business by serving food, featuring the delectable Maryland blue crab. At that point, Obrycki's became a restaurant.

When Melvin, Mitch and Joe relocated and started a separate business of their own in 1949, Eddie and his wife, Eleanor, took over what became known as Ed Obrycki's Olde Crab House. This partnership continued until 1976, when Rose and Richard Cernak bought the restaurant.

Obrycki's out grew the old location and moved to our current location at 1727 East Pratt Street in 1986. The property it is built on included a warehouse, a parking lot and the original Goodwill Industries Building. This move has provided for more amenities than were previously available, such as accommodations for large groups and private parties.  Additionally, we are able to ship our specialties throughout the United States.

When you visit us, please take time to view the artwork on our walls. These pieces reflect Baltimore's history with an emphasis on Fells Point and the city's rich maritime history.

In 2006 we opened Obrycki's Restaurant and Bar at BWI Thurgod Marshall Airport.  This location is a scaled down version of our Pratt Street location, with only 80 seats and a limited menu.  Sorry, steamed crabs are not be available but our famous crab cakes, crab soup, hot crab dip and many of your other favorite items are.

Although we have grown and changed over the years, what hasn't changed in more than sixty years is the quality of our food, or our ability to create a one-of-a-kind, enjoyable dining experience.

The Cernak family looks forward to your visit to Obrycki's.