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A stadium-side beer hall in the off-season is like Ocean City in winter: desolate, cold, and in almost all ways preferable to the sticky crush of summer. That’s especially true of Pickles Pub, where the cavernous interior is almost soothing when empty, and the food is really good, for serious. The steamed shrimp special ($5.95 for a half-pound) comes garnished with Old-Bay-soaked grilled onions and—like every other dish here—sliced pickles. The shrimp are plump and juicy, and a perfect complement to the hearty Maryland crab soup ($3.95). As good a bowl as we’ve had anywhere, the soup is spicy and loaded with corn, peas, carrots, lima beans, and almost enough crabmeat. The shrimp-dipping sauce is a good ketchup substitute for fries, likewise seasoned with Old Bay ($3.95). We found the pickles fried in beer batter ($2) easier on the eyes than the palate, but they were a hit back at the office. We’ll be back before the O’s are to sample the Italian sausage sub ($5.95).