Lee’s Crab Trap I

“We were honored to be able to pay tribute to my grandfather and keep many of his clever and memorable pieces as part of our family’s tradition. Our goal will always be to take his vision above all expectations, especially for all those who want to be an addition to our next chapter!”
~ Jarrett James

For over 40 years, the family has been associated with great food and special occasions with four restaurants in their historic repertoire dating from the early 70’s to include Crab Trap I, Hickory Hollow Barbeque, The Sea Hut and Crab Trap II

Lee’s Crab Trap II “A True Hidden Treasure”

“We look forward to continuing this adventure for many years to come. Always evolving for the better and keeping on the creative path that my grandfather, Lee Cline would have loved and wanted. Our vision has a “dream big” attitude because your special day deserves it!”
~ Jarrett James

The Crab Trap II was built from the ground up, by Leeland Cline himself in 1985. When he originally acquired the estate, he would build scaffolding along the property line to be able to gage the view he envisioned for every guest that came into his restaurant. He wanted every single guest to have a view of the beautiful lake that sits along the backside of the property. This is the reason he built tiered layers of seating throughout the building

Crab Trap II was always associated with prestige and class, pioneering its way through trend setting and historic dishes and flavors. The décor was an eclectic mix of old Florida and the Caribbean islands with quirky treasures and recipes that found its way to being showcased to its clientele.

Due to a decline in his health in the early 2000’s and later to his passing in 2008, the restaurants were left to Leelands two daughters Donna James.

Donna James took over Crab Trap I and renamed it The Sea Hut. The establishment is still in operation today. After Donna’s sister’s passing, Crab Trap II ended up closing and was put up for sale to the public in 2010 and eagerly pursued by Donna James to keep it in the family. By 2012, the property was officially purchased by Donna James, her son, Jarrett James and daughter Jennifer James. They spent the next two years diligently and manually transforming this 350-seat iconic landmark into something that would be enjoyed and embraced once again by the community. Their vision included a hint of the old Florida feel with a splash of elegance scattered throughout the newly remodeled venue focusing on a more chic than shabby outcome.

In 1985, Lee’s Crab Trap opened its doors. The name was perfect for what it was at the time but it was not what the James family needed for a feel of prestige, love and a name that grabbed attention for the newly renovated space to become a performance and event venue. After weeks of searching, they came across their family tree. As it is, a large group of their descendants originating from England, dating back over 800 years, were part of the conflict “War of the Roses.” After coming across this information, it was very clear that they found their name, “Worthington.”

Dating early in 1675, Captain John Worthington settled on an 8000-acre estate between the Annapolis and Baltimore areas that he named “Whiskey Ridge.” Today this county is known as Worthington Valley.

This story is a little simpler. The lake behind the property was never named and the James family were able to claim the naming rights to it. Their search for the perfect name required them to find and elegant name that would appeal to the mood and ambiance they were working to achieve. After many hours and days of brainstorming they found exactly what they were looking for.

In tying in all of the stories of their family’s history, they felt the homage to Lee Cline and his great grandmother Love Cline together gave them everything they needed.