12 Retro All-You-Can-Eat Spots In Maryland That Still Dish Out Old-School Comfort
Maryland knows how to feed a crowd. Forget trendy tapas and tiny portions served on slabs of slate. Sometimes you just need a heaping plate of crab legs, fried chicken that actually tastes like grandma made it, and a dining room that hasn’t changed since your parents were dating.
These all-you-can-eat institutions prove that bigger really is better. Paper-covered tables, mallets clanging, and servers who know your refill rhythm by heart.
Grab your stretchy pants and prepare for a nostalgic feast that’ll make you remember why buffets ruled the family-dinner scene for decades.
1. The Bonfire Restaurant – Ocean City
Ocean City’s grande dame of buffets lays out a 150-foot spread that could feed half the boardwalk. Prime rib, fried chicken, pasta stations, raw bar, and when you’re feeling fancy, a buffet add-on with bottomless snow-crab clusters.
The dining room is massive, filled with beach-trip families and plates stacked so high they defy physics.
I took my cousins here after a sunburn-heavy beach day, and we made three trips each before admitting defeat. The nostalgia hits harder than the Old Bay. Big portions, zero pretension, pure comfort food bliss.
2. The Crab Bag – Ocean City
Paper-covered tables, mallets thumping, and a steady parade of trays deliver the Eastern Shore experience in stereo.
Their All-You-Can-Eat Steamed Crabs special is a true feast with old-school sides and a just-one-more-round rhythm until you finally call uncle. The atmosphere buzzes with crab-picking chatter and the occasional victorious crack of a claw.
Servers keep the crabs coming without you even asking. It’s the kind of place where everyone leaves with orange-stained fingers and zero regrets about skipping the gym tomorrow.
3. Higgins Crab House – Ocean City
Since the ’70s, Higgins has taught generations how to pick a crab the Maryland way. Their AYCE lineup includes blue crabs alone, or bundled with shrimp, ribs, and classic fried-chicken sides for pure boardwalk-era comfort.
The wood-paneled walls and seasoned staff make you feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine set to summer vacation.
Two locations mean twice the chances to stuff yourself silly. The ritual here is sacred: pick, dip, repeat until your hands cramp and your belly protests.
4. Waterman’s Seafood Co. – West Ocean City
When Waterman’s rolls out its midday All-You-Can-Eat Original Feast, the table turns into a tide of flavor.
Steamed crabs and shrimp, hush puppies, fried chicken, corn, the works pile up until your server runs out of room. It’s the kind of lunch that becomes the whole day because nobody moves afterward.
Seasonal windows and prices get posted on their specials board, so check before you go. But trust me, once you settle in and start cracking shells, time stops mattering anyway.
5. Assateague Crab House – Berlin
Close to the marshes and wild ponies, this roadside favorite runs AYCE crab specials and those crowd-cheering snow-leg nights that pack the place.
Piles of steamed crabs, salty hands, and that local-hangout hum make you swear summer lasts longer here. The vibe is laid-back and unpretentious, exactly what a proper crab house should be.
I wandered in after visiting the ponies at Assateague Island and left smelling like Old Bay for two days. Worth every aromatic minute of it, honestly.
6. Crabcake Factory West – West Ocean City
A beach-week legend for monster crab cakes and, yes, all-you-can-eat snow crab legs when they run the special.
It’s loud, happy, and unapologetically Maryland in the best possible way. The kind of place where the server just keeps the buckets coming, and nobody judges your third helping.
Families fill the booths, tourists snap photos of their towers of crab, and regulars nod knowingly at each other. The energy here is contagious, the food is ridiculously good, and the portions never quit.
7. May’s Seafood Restaurant – Frederick
High-traffic family spot off US-15 where the steam never seems to stop rising from the kitchen. Their All-You-Can-Eat Seafood special, including crabs when running, is Frederick-area comfort incarnate.
Think big platters, bigger smiles, and cream-of-crab soup on standby for anyone who needs a warm-up before the main event.
The parking lot stays packed for good reason. Locals have been coming here for years, and they guard their favorite tables like family heirlooms. Jump in line and join the tradition.
8. Liberty Road Seafood & Steak – Frederick County
For 40-plus years, this country-drive classic has done AYCE crab feasts and combos that layer blue crabs, snow legs, shrimp with hush puppies, slaw, and soup to make it feel like Sunday supper.
The dining room looks just like the memories say it should, complete with wood paneling and waitresses who remember your order.
My family celebrated birthdays here throughout my childhood, and the menu hasn’t budged an inch. Consistency like this deserves a medal and probably another plate of crab.
9. Avery’s Maryland Grille – Frederick
Avery’s builds its reputation on crab feasts, with AYCE options and a Crabby Wednesday that turns midweek into a ritual worth planning around.
Mallets, brown paper, and a menu full of fried-seafood comforts deliver homey, hearty, and proudly Maryland vibes. The staff treats regulars like extended family and newcomers like future regulars.
Wednesday nights draw a devoted crowd who know the drill. Get there early, settle in, and prepare to crack shells until your forearms burn and your stomach waves the white flag.
10. Mountain Gate Family Restaurant – Thurmont
Step into a time capsule of country cooking where a daily buffet rotates fried chicken, Salisbury steak, stuffed peppers, liver and onions, plus a breakfast buffet on weekends.
It’s church-basement cozy, with a dessert lineup that makes you linger long after your belt protests. The portions are generous, the prices are gentle, and the regulars have their own unspoken seating chart.
This place feels like eating at your favorite aunt’s house, if she cooked for fifty people daily and never ran out of pie.
11. Charm City Buffet & Grill – Parkville
A neighborhood AYCE with a retro spirit serves over 100 dishes spanning hibachi, sushi, Chinese-American comfort, steak strips, and homestyle sides.
Weekend dinner-all-day brings back that classic buffet energy: unfussy, abundant, and fun. The variety here is staggering, so pace yourself or risk food-coma regret before you hit the dessert station.
I’ve watched families celebrate graduations, birthdays, and random Tuesdays here with equal enthusiasm. The secret is making a game plan before you grab your first plate; otherwise, decision paralysis sets in fast.
12. Captain John’s Crab House & Marina – Newburg
Family-run since 1963, perched right where the river breeze sneaks into the dining room and makes everything taste better.
Expect daily AYCE crab and seafood specials plus a salad bar straight from a more patient era. No frills, just honest feast-mode by the water where the crabs are fresh and the atmosphere is timeless.
Southern Maryland knows how to do seafood right, and Captain John’s proves it meal after meal. The view, the crabs, the easy pace, it all adds up to perfection you can taste.