A well-known D.C. soul food chain has set up shop in Baltimore, opening its largest-ever location at 616 S. Broadway in Fells Point. Oohh's & Aahh's is currently serving customers on a takeout-only basis while it settles into the neighborhood, and the new spot comes with a dish you cannot get anywhere else in the company's lineup: an exclusive crab cake made just for this location.
The 2,300-square-foot restaurant marks a new chapter for the brand, according to WBAL News Radio, which reports the Fells Point spot is Oohh's & Aahh's fourth location overall and its first in Maryland. The company has built its name with soul food. The size of the space stood out to the Baltimore Business Journal, which confirmed the restaurant occupies 2,300 square feet and is operating takeout-only as it gets its footing in the city.
The Fells Point restaurant is running takeout-only while the business establishes itself in Baltimore. Almost every item on the menu is made from scratch, including the seasonings and sauces that have become something of a signature for the chain.
What's on the Menu
Fells Point diners can expect the chain's soul food. The real draw for Baltimore regulars, though, may be the crab cake made exclusively for this location — a detail also noted by the Business Journal, which reported that the dish is available only here and nowhere else in the Oohh's & Aahh's family.
The company said on its restaurant website that it was bringing its signature flavors to the heart of Fells Point. It described the project as a full-service restaurant that would serve up Oohh's & Aahh's favorites alongside fresh new seafood dishes and handcrafted cocktails with a Baltimore twist. The company also noted it had been serving soulful comfort food in D.C. for more than two decades before planning the expansion north.
A Brand With D.C. Roots and National Attention
Oohh's & Aahh's has earned high praise from D.C. publications, according to WBAL. Food Network's own restaurant profile credits the operation's staying power to recipes passed down from the two owners' grandmothers, and highlights chicken wings and Cajun grilled shrimp and grits among its standout dishes.
Whether the Fells Point location eventually expands beyond takeout to match the full-service, cocktail-serving concept the company originally announced remains to be seen. For now, Baltimore has its first taste of a D.C. institution, crab cake included.
