• Long Beach, New Yorksailing on reynolds chanel long island new york image by robert sbarra from Fotolia.com
  
  One of the few cities on the upper east coast that has the Atlantic Ocean as its southern border, Long Beach, New York is referred to as "the City by the Sea." Once inhabited by the Rockaway Indians, it's been a beach resort since the 1890s. While several seafood restaurants in Long Beach serve hard shell crabs seasonally, three that serve this summer favorite year round can be found a short drive away.
  
  

The Buccaneer Crab House

• Blue claw crabs are served three ways at Buccaneercrabs image by Bionic Media from Fotolia.com
  
  Located just up the coast from Long Beach in Freeport, the Buccaneer Crab House offers a full seafood menu in a rustic atmosphere. Blue claw crabs can be ordered Maryland style, Louisiana boiled or steamed with garlic and butter, and can be served as an entree with sides or "all you can eat." Thursday night's dinner special is "all you can eat blue claw crabs," offered at a slightly lower price. Crabs are available on the dinner menu only. Additional crab entrees include king and snow crab legs and pasta with lump crab meat.
  
  The Buccaneer Crab House
  108 West Merrick Road
  Freeport, New York 11520
  516-442-1151
  buccaneercrabhouse.com
  
  

Waterfront Crab House

• Steamed crabs and your favorite beers are served at Waterfront Crab Housecrabs on sale image by Stephen VanHorn from Fotolia.com
  
  Crabs steamed in garlic and butter or served Maryland style with Old Bay Seasoning can be found at Waterfront Crab House in Long Island City. Known for an amazing array of seafood dishes, house specialties also include aged prime steaks, pasta and a raw bar. Abundant treasures from the sea are served in a casual, friendly atmosphere. The Waterfront Crab House also has a full bar.
  
  Waterfront Crab House
  203 Borden Avenue
  Long Island City, New York 11101
  718-729-4862
  wfcrabhouse.com
  
  

City Crab and Seafood Company

• Several types of crab are on the menu at City Crabalaskan king crab legs image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
  
  This bustling, two-level restaurant is a drive, but worth the trip for anyone who wants to experience hard shell crabs of different varieties. On the dinner menu, City Crab features garlic sauteed blue crabs, king crab legs, steamed Pacific dungeness and Maryland style lump crab cakes. In addition to their excellent choices of crab, City Crab offers an extensive menu with choices from the raw bar, salads, soups, appetizers, fresh fish, shell fish, chicken, steak and pasta. An extensive wine list will assure the perfect libation is available to accompany any dish.
  
  City Crab & Seafood Company
  235 Park Avenue South
  New York, NY 10003
  212-529-3800
  citycrabnyc.com