Tide To Table: Crab Grilled To Perfection - Grilled Crabs With Old Bay Butter

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Blog > Tide To Table: Crab Grilled To Perfection - Grilled Crabs With Old Bay Butter

Cooking on the coast of South Carolina turns simple meals into lasting memories. In this Tide To Table feature, Bryan and Chef Eric Greenwood fire up the grill on Goat Island to create Grilled Blue Crab with Old Bay Butter — a messy, flavorful, shareable feast full of Lowcountry charm.

October 22, 2025
Tide To Table
Overhead view of chargrilled crabs seasoned with spices on wooden board with lemon and sauce
Bryan Greenwood
Regional Sales Manager - Northeast, Mid-West
  • Grilling fresh coastal seafood turns a meal into a lively shareable experience that is best enjoyed with hands and friends.
  • Old Bay butter elevates grilled blue crab and shows that simple quality ingredients can shine over fancy techniques.
  • The setting by the water matters as much as the dish; a relaxed outdoor setup with a big table and plenty of napkins makes the meal memorable.

There’s something about cooking on the coast of South Carolina that makes food taste just a little more alive. Maybe it’s the salty breeze drifting off the water or the laid-back rhythm of island time—but when you’re out on Goat Island, surrounded by good friends and cold drinks, even a simple crab dish turns into something unforgettable.

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            <a href="https://www.sportsmanboatsmfg.com/s3/images/blog-images/2025-10-27/P2ARkRFTqlWrcrWeUWhyBjMZaLshJbgfA9bboz6b.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> to download the printable PDF for this recipe.
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On a recent trip to Goat Island, we set up our grill with one mission in mind: shoot a Tide To Table feature for Grilled Blue Crab with Old Bay Butter. The blue crabs were fresh, the butter was rich with garlic and spice, and the grill was set up just a few feet from the water. This is the kind of meal that doesn’t need plates—just a big table, plenty of napkins and maybe an old towel for your hands. As someone born and raised in Maryland, I have Old Bay running through my veins and part of being a Marylander is my love of blue crab—more specifically my love of steamed blue crabs. Cooking them any differently seemed wasteful to me (why mess with perfection!) and I was a bit skeptical of trying them any other way. I can’t tell you how surprised I was with the recipe below and how much I look forward to grilling up another batch in the future. These crabs were beyond flavorful yet still gave the same dining experience of messy hands and cracked shells that go hand in hand with eating steamed blue crab.

Two men in branded caps examine fresh crabs while seated on a wooden dock with a catch basket between them
Hands holding freshly caught blue crabs with shells and claws visible
Fresh blue crabs with shells removed in a basket next to an orange-handled knife
Blue crab held in open palm showing underside with cream-colored shell and orange accents

Grilled blue crab isn’t just a meal, it’s an event. It’s cracking shells and laughing with friends, licking Old Bay off your fingers and wiping your face with the nearest beach towel. It’s Lowcountry cooking at its finest: unfussy, full of flavor and meant to be shared.

Hand brushing seasoning onto chargrilled blue crabs on a black smoker grill
Child in blue shirt reaching toward a pile of cooked crabs on a wooden board at an outdoor waterside table

Next time you find yourself with a batch of crabs and want to try something different than the usual steamed variety, fire up the grill and give this recipe a go. And if you’re looking for directions on cooking a Steamed Crab and Lowcountry Boil feast, be sure to check out Episode 3 of Tide To Table.