Our Story
A Tradition Of Quality For Generations
Founded in 1886, Faidley Seafood is one of the oldest and best-known purveyors of fresh and prepared seafood in the Chesapeake region. Today, it is owned and operated by Bill and Nancy Devine, descendents of founder John W. Faidley, Sr. Faidley’s is headquartered on its original location in “World Famous Lexington Market”, Baltimore, Maryland.
From Baltimore and Beyond
The business serves not only the Baltimore area but also has expanded to provide catering and next day air shipping for its award winning lump crab cakes. The accolades afforded Faidley’s crab cakes have created many new and exciting opportunities for the family owned business. Faidley’s has developed and presented Maryland Style Crab Feasts as cultural events promoting tourism and business development for the State of Maryland and Capital Region. These events are regularly held throughout the United States and internationally in Germany, England, France, Iceland, and Holland. Faidley’s was even commissioned to develop crab cake for the crew of the United States Space Shuttle. Faidley’s marketplace was also cast for a scene in the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” and a scene in the television program “Homicide”.
But, what Faidley Seafood is best known for is its award winning Jumbo Lump Crabcake.
To taste heaven, have a bite of Faidleys Jumbo Lump Crabcake
To eat one is to believe that you have tasted one of the best things on earth! This is the statement most often heard from Faidley’s customers. To become one of those customers, Bill and Nancy Devine invite you to read more about the crab cakes, consider visiting the family business or order the award winning lump crab cakes to enjoy at your home or office.
Faidley’s Seafood Timeline
● 1782 Plan announced for location of Baltimore market on land owned by John Eager
Howard, off of what was then known as Howard’s Hill
● 1797 Baltimore announces petition to erect and establish a marketplace at the
intersection of Lexington and Howard Streets
● 1818 Land for market is expanded with additional Howard land leases
● 19th century Market was largely held outdoors in a series of stalls, to provide places for
produce, dairy, fish and meat sales from Towson, Reisterstown, and the Chesapeake
Bay. The original operating hours for the market were “Tuesday’s, Friday’s, and
Saturday’s from 2:00a.m. till noon.”
● 1886 Est. Smith & Faidley at Lexington Market, selling terrapin, Eastern Shore seafood,
wild game for wholesale and retail.
● 1948 Smith & Faidley left to Edward Faidley (eldest son), who opts out of the business
and gives his option to his brother, John W. Faidley and wife Albina. John eventually
changes the business name to John W. Faidley Seafood in the mid-50’s.
● 1949 Lexington Market burns down, is rebuilt in 1952 as a covered market without
exterior stalls. Faidley’s reopens in new Lexington Market venue.
● 1952 Nancy Faidley (daughter of John W.) begins helping at Faidley’s after school.
● 1958 Bill Devine marries Nancy Faidley Devine
● 1964 Bill Devine and wife Nancy Faidley Devine move from Washington DC to
Baltimore, so Bill can join John W. working at the seafood business. Bill introduces
shipping to Faidley’s, as well as stand-up counters—an idea he brought from his lunch
counter experiences at the Pentagon.
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● 1967 Beginning with John W. Faidley, who started making steak (hake) fish sandwiches
for himself and began serving them to customers, Faidley’s starts selling cooked food.
The fish sandwiches are especially popular on Fridays, holidays and Easter among the
local Catholics in the neighborhood.
● 1982 Faidley’s is hired by Maryland Tourism to cater overseas/ international Maryland
crab feasts
● 1986 Nancy and Bill’s daughters, Eva Devine and Damye Hahn, open Faidley’s
Belvedere Square, with a fish counter, seafood market, and caterering, operating until
1992.
● 1987 Nancy Faidley Devine creates the jumbo lump crab cake recipe through
experimentation. Though Faidley’s had sold crab cakes previously, they were “special”
rather than “jumbo lump” crabmeat, and Nancy charged a premium ($6.95) for the
upgraded recipe.
● 1992 Damye Hahn joins Nancy and Bill at Faidley’s Lexington Market
● 1992 John W. Faidley’s Seafood wins the Golden Dish award from GQ Magazine
● 2007 Will Hahn joins his mother and grandparents full time to join the family business at
John W. Faidley’s Seafood
● 2020 Planning for “The Fishmonger’s Daughter” expansion in Catonsville
