Canter’s certainly has a loyal following and mostly, it’s well deserved. However, over the years I have noticed a decline in food taste as well as service. It’s not easy to find and good directions are a must. Just when you think you are completely lost, you’ll find yourself in the parking lot. The view is wonderful! However, the “Inn” is actually on Mill Creek, not a river, to be technical. The MD crab soup is outstanding as are most things on the menu. Cantler’s could benefit from urging their staff to smile and focus more on customer service and class. It seems the waitresses have graduated from the School of Surly. On a recent visit, I ordered a glass of Merlot. The waitress returned with a glass of Chardonnay. I stated, “I’m sorry, I asked for Merlot.” The waitress replied, “I heard you say Chardonnay, Yes, I did.” Then she put her foot up onto the bench that I was sitting on (picnic style tables) and said, “Okay, hon, what exactly is it that you want?” Eventually, a glass of red wine arrived. But was not especially worth waiting for.

My brother-in-law loves the shrimp salad sandwich and my husband thinks Cantler’s makes the best hush puppies ever. I love the place to enjoy leisurely picking crabs and people watching. My sister loves the crab dip. Also, it’s a kid-friendly restaurant with a variety of foods and lots to see. Cantler’s has tanks with crabs and other sea life to view by the dock. Also, at the right times, you can see the staff unload the crabs and bring them up from the water.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable experience. But don’t expect anything fancy or quality service!

Cantler's Riverside Inn is right on the river (hence the name, though it's not an Inn). The view outside is great and the seafood is very fresh. You have the choice of eating inside in A/C or outside under cover or just outside. Seating is faster if you are willing to eat outside. The seating is crowded on picnic-like tables and the place is busy and noisy. This is not the place for a quiet romantic dinner. But it's perfect for getting messy and having a good time.

I took my 3 teenagers on a Friday at about 5:00 pm. It was already busy and we were put on a list. You can wait in the small bar or stand around outside in the parking lot. There is only one small bench to sit to wait. I would recommend going at a less busy time or during the week. When we left at 8:00, cars were lined up for about 1/2 mile just to get into the parking lot.

We ordered 30 steamed blue crab, onion rings, hushpuppies and dessert. The bill (without tip) was $81. With alcohol it would have been more, of course. The crab was excellent, but it was covered in Old Bay seasoning which wasn't explained to us beforehand. I liked it but my son didn't and had trouble getting around it. If I had known, I would have ordered some plain, I'm sure it wouldn't have been a problem. The side items were alright but not fabulous. The desserts are not made there, but are made by a restaurant supply company. They were also alright, but not fabulous.

The food is brought out on lunch trays for family style eating. We had trouble finding room on our table for everything. You can also order single dinners. The service was friendly and they had no problem with changes in our order.

The restaurant is very hard to find and I recommend having excellent directions. We had good directions and still got lost 2 times on the way there.

Took my son here when we were in town for a swim meet. I remembered this as a real good locals place. It's still locals, but it's not real good. Overpriced for what you get. Only plus I can say is that you get it quick, but that's because they must have it warming in the back ready to go. Not fresh seafood to my taste. You can pay just as much in town for better food. Cocktail sauce felt like it might have been left out in the cold, frozen and thawed out. It was lumpy as it came out of the squeeze bottle.

Wish I could be more positive, as I recalled this place fondly.

We ate at Cantlers on October 27, 2005, primarily because of the rave reviews of previous correspondents. Granted, it is a very informal place for real seafood lovers, i.e. styrofoam cups for soup. The seafood was unquestionably well prepared and delicious. The vegetables, though, were not much more than sliced, boiled, and thrown on the plate. I would rate the desserts as only average to perhaps slightly above average for the key lime pie. The prices were high, all factors considered. This was our first stop on a tour of the Chesapeake Bay area, and we had better seafood at more reasonable prices at other restaurants on the Eastern Shore.