I tried Raw Bar's dishes while at a local Seafood festival at one of their stands, but the shrimp and grits were so good I had to report on its merits. The people manning the table said they worked at the restaurant and they were very nice people, so I would assume they are also nice when serving at the actual restaurant. They were nice despite having one of the longer lines at the festival. Because of the high demand, I waited for quite a while to be served, but the dish came out still piping hot. It was composed of grits that were already well seasoned by themselves, but they added a seafood broth/sauce that was sublime in its flavor and creaminess. The shrimp used were also very fresh. Having spent some time in the South enjoying cuisine there, I would say this dish can only be compared to the best I've tasted in Charleston, SC. I definitely am looking forward to going back to Raw Bar for another taste.
Rena E.
It was a very relaxing atmosphere located on the waterfront. The decor and ambiance were both pleasing and it was clean. It wasn't very busy on the evening of my visit, but it was a laidback vibe. In the bar area, it was less than ten people. I liked that it wasn't overly crowded or necessarily noisy with the exception of music being played at a moderate level in the background. Other than ordering our drinks and appetizer, there was limited staff interaction. The drinks were good, but a little strong for my taste. Most people would not take issue with a potent drink, but I just wanted a quick celebratory birthday drink minus the quick buzz. If you like your drinks with a kick then this might be the place for you. In addition to drinks, we also ordered mussels, which were delicious. I would definitely return for the mussels alone. The mussels were fresh and the broth at the bottom of the bowl was perfect. I really wish I had more bread to enjoy the remainder of the juice. I would definitely return at some point.
Michael uthe
Our server, Vince, was awesome and friendly. The food was incredible and the view was relaxing. This is a place you do not want to miss out from while in the area.
DavidC
We came for a birthday dinner with our family. There was some kind of event like a reunion in the bar area which was rowdy and they had the music blaring. Just seemed overly loud for Sunday evening. Food was okay, our server was super sweet. Seemed overpriced for the quality. I don't know if I would come back again.
JennSteve Cooper
A huge and overdue shout out to Raw Bar in Canton! We held our engagement party (that turned into a “pop up wedding”) there on Sept 7. From the first visit to plan the event, we were impressed with the knowledge, enthusiasm, experience and professionalism of Niki, their on-site event planner. She walked us through all of our options and easily grasped the vision we had for our wedding. She provided floor plan ideas, suggestions for decorating and even arranged for servers to pass our brought-in desserts.
Daniel Bougher
Not a fan of the food. Service was good. Nice view of the water. Good drinks. Our party of 4, each person ordered something different along with an appetizer and sides. The consensus was that each item had an interesting taste, not what we expected.
Sarah
I was blown away by the service at this restaurant. Not only were the views of the water incredible, but the Manager Ryann and our server Vince were such incredible people. We loved chatting with them and felt so loved the entire time we were there. I would recommend this hidden gem to anyone in the Baltimore area!!
Ryan Strauss
Ordered the soup but was tasting to my liking. I barely had any and told them I couldn’t eat it and they said sorry and still charged the full price. The selection was limited especially for a raw bar, they only had 2 or 3 raw items. Only a couple different fish choices. Nice view of the water was the best part with an expansive drink menu which I didn’t try. Will not be returning
Ryan Berger
Only reason it didn't get one star was that the servers were nice and there is a great view of the water. Food is bland and for some reason they brought out one plate at a time over about 20 minutes. Chicken came out raw. Would not recommend eating here. Fine if you are only getting drinks.
Baltimore has its share of crab houses with featured local seafood, but the Raw Bar is in a class of its own. First of all, its not a crab house; but the crab cake is one of the best I have tasted. Right on the Canton waterfront, the view is stunning; the menu is not huge but the selection is great; and the wine/beer/cocktail list is impressive.
Had a great time at oysterpaloza! Couldn't have asked for better weather for a festival at this type of venue. Everything was great but the mussels needed a little salt. The crab fritters are ?. Drink quality varies from bar to bar but the entire staff is really friendly. Follow @slplanning on Instagram for foodie finds, things to do, and freebies
Temmie Redoble Dunn
Great place to eat if you are looking for fresh seafood,great and exotic drinks and beautiful and relaxing water view
Amanda
The food was absolutely delicious. We had two Connecticut lobster rolls and the bang bang shrimp appetizer. The alcohol is a little pricy though. The biggest negative was the time the kitchen took with our food. Our server was attentive but had to constantly reassure us of our food because of how long it was taking. We waited 20-25 minutes for our appetizer....They need to work on their kitchen efficiency but the food is delicious.
Ishmal Malik
Extremely unpleasant experience despite the food being great! My husband and I went there for breakfast to celebrate our anniversary but were served by this server named "Daniel," I think. She made us feel extremely uncomfortable. She was very brusque and unhelpful. While my husband was still drinking his coffee she brought the check (as if the bar was full and they needed tables even though more than half of the bar was empty due to morning hours). I don't know but we felt very unwelcomed there and felt like we were being forced out. Maybe restaurants need to train staff properly. My husband and I eat out a lot and are very pleasant. This is the first time that something like this has happened to us. I wasn't going to write a review but couldn't ignore how hurt my husband felt by the server's attitude.
KitaK
I would recommend coming to your restaurant if a person wanted a great view of the water while eating. Although steak and broccolini were on the menu they were out of both. We were disappointed! The creamed corn was run of the mill and the Caesar salad was the smallest size I've ever seen in any restaurant. The crab cake was delicious but the shrimp were terribly overpriced. The slice of key lime pie was also delicious but for $9 the size should have been twice the size it was. I will come again but during lunch time. Hopefully that menu is better than the dinner menu. Disappointed since we were celebrating our 29th anniversary?
I tried Raw Bar's dishes while at a local Seafood festival at one of their stands, but the shrimp and grits were so good I had to report on its merits. The people manning the table said they worked at the restaurant and they were very nice people, so I would assume they are also nice when serving at the actual restaurant. They were nice despite having one of the longer lines at the festival. Because of the high demand, I waited for quite a while to be served, but the dish came out still piping hot. It was composed of grits that were already well seasoned by themselves, but they added a seafood broth/sauce that was sublime in its flavor and creaminess. The shrimp used were also very fresh. Having spent some time in the South enjoying cuisine there, I would say this dish can only be compared to the best I've tasted in Charleston, SC. I definitely am looking forward to going back to Raw Bar for another taste.
It was a very relaxing atmosphere located on the waterfront. The decor and ambiance were both pleasing and it was clean. It wasn't very busy on the evening of my visit, but it was a laidback vibe. In the bar area, it was less than ten people. I liked that it wasn't overly crowded or necessarily noisy with the exception of music being played at a moderate level in the background. Other than ordering our drinks and appetizer, there was limited staff interaction. The drinks were good, but a little strong for my taste. Most people would not take issue with a potent drink, but I just wanted a quick celebratory birthday drink minus the quick buzz. If you like your drinks with a kick then this might be the place for you. In addition to drinks, we also ordered mussels, which were delicious. I would definitely return for the mussels alone. The mussels were fresh and the broth at the bottom of the bowl was perfect. I really wish I had more bread to enjoy the remainder of the juice. I would definitely return at some point.
Our server, Vince, was awesome and friendly. The food was incredible and the view was relaxing. This is a place you do not want to miss out from while in the area.
We came for a birthday dinner with our family. There was some kind of event like a reunion in the bar area which was rowdy and they had the music blaring. Just seemed overly loud for Sunday evening. Food was okay, our server was super sweet. Seemed overpriced for the quality. I don't know if I would come back again.
A huge and overdue shout out to Raw Bar in Canton! We held our engagement party (that turned into a “pop up wedding”) there on Sept 7. From the first visit to plan the event, we were impressed with the knowledge, enthusiasm, experience and professionalism of Niki, their on-site event planner. She walked us through all of our options and easily grasped the vision we had for our wedding. She provided floor plan ideas, suggestions for decorating and even arranged for servers to pass our brought-in desserts.
Not a fan of the food. Service was good. Nice view of the water. Good drinks. Our party of 4, each person ordered something different along with an appetizer and sides. The consensus was that each item had an interesting taste, not what we expected.
I was blown away by the service at this restaurant. Not only were the views of the water incredible, but the Manager Ryann and our server Vince were such incredible people. We loved chatting with them and felt so loved the entire time we were there. I would recommend this hidden gem to anyone in the Baltimore area!!
Ordered the soup but was tasting to my liking. I barely had any and told them I couldn’t eat it and they said sorry and still charged the full price. The selection was limited especially for a raw bar, they only had 2 or 3 raw items. Only a couple different fish choices. Nice view of the water was the best part with an expansive drink menu which I didn’t try. Will not be returning
Only reason it didn't get one star was that the servers were nice and there is a great view of the water. Food is bland and for some reason they brought out one plate at a time over about 20 minutes. Chicken came out raw. Would not recommend eating here. Fine if you are only getting drinks.
Baltimore has its share of crab houses with featured local seafood, but the Raw Bar is in a class of its own. First of all, its not a crab house; but the crab cake is one of the best I have tasted. Right on the Canton waterfront, the view is stunning; the menu is not huge but the selection is great; and the wine/beer/cocktail list is impressive.
Restaurantji Recommends
Had a great time at oysterpaloza! Couldn't have asked for better weather for a festival at this type of venue. Everything was great but the mussels needed a little salt. The crab fritters are ?. Drink quality varies from bar to bar but the entire staff is really friendly. Follow @slplanning on Instagram for foodie finds, things to do, and freebies
Great place to eat if you are looking for fresh seafood,great and exotic drinks and beautiful and relaxing water view
The food was absolutely delicious. We had two Connecticut lobster rolls and the bang bang shrimp appetizer. The alcohol is a little pricy though. The biggest negative was the time the kitchen took with our food. Our server was attentive but had to constantly reassure us of our food because of how long it was taking. We waited 20-25 minutes for our appetizer....They need to work on their kitchen efficiency but the food is delicious.
Extremely unpleasant experience despite the food being great! My husband and I went there for breakfast to celebrate our anniversary but were served by this server named "Daniel," I think. She made us feel extremely uncomfortable. She was very brusque and unhelpful. While my husband was still drinking his coffee she brought the check (as if the bar was full and they needed tables even though more than half of the bar was empty due to morning hours). I don't know but we felt very unwelcomed there and felt like we were being forced out. Maybe restaurants need to train staff properly. My husband and I eat out a lot and are very pleasant. This is the first time that something like this has happened to us. I wasn't going to write a review but couldn't ignore how hurt my husband felt by the server's attitude.
I would recommend coming to your restaurant if a person wanted a great view of the water while eating. Although steak and broccolini were on the menu they were out of both. We were disappointed! The creamed corn was run of the mill and the Caesar salad was the smallest size I've ever seen in any restaurant. The crab cake was delicious but the shrimp were terribly overpriced. The slice of key lime pie was also delicious but for $9 the size should have been twice the size it was. I will come again but during lunch time. Hopefully that menu is better than the dinner menu. Disappointed since we were celebrating our 29th anniversary?