A Fourth of July conversation reconnects two longtime friends and celebrates a firefighter’s journey from public service to entrepreneurship.
(CLINTON, MD – July 4, 2026) – Some stories begin with a press release.
Others begin with a phone call.
This one began more than two decades ago.
In the early days of BMORENews, my late mentor in business, William Hopson, founder of IceTech, introduced me to a different side of Prince George’s County. One day, he drove me through Woodmore.
I had never seen anything like it.
Beautiful homes surrounded a championship golf course. Black families living in million-dollar homes. Success. Stability. Ownership. It was one of the most impressive demonstrations of Black economic empowerment I had ever witnessed.
That visit changed my perspective.
I began spending more time in Prince George’s County, meeting entrepreneurs, elected officials, clergy, business owners, and community leaders who were quietly building institutions and creating opportunities.
One of those men was Rodney Taylor.
Rodney was part of Working Men Who Care, a community service organization made up of Black men committed to giving back. Many were firefighters. Their work reminded me of Baltimore’s Black Professional Men—professionals using their success to strengthen their communities.
We worked together on several community initiatives over the years.
Then life happened.
Distance—not disagreement—simply got in the way, and we lost touch.
That changed on the Fourth of July.
Ironically, it was also my mother Lillie Glover’s birthday.
When Rodney called, it felt less like catching up and more like picking up where we had left off years earlier.
As we talked, he shared the story of what he’d been building.
Today, Rodney is the owner of Fireman’s Cafe in Clinton, Maryland, and a retired 26-year veteran of the Washington, D.C. Fire Department.
His latest success centers around the Shrabcake®—his signature blend of Maryland-style crab cake and shrimp.
“It’s a Maryland-style crab cake, but we add shrimp to it,” Taylor explained.
To complement it, he created his own seafood sauce more than a decade ago when he first launched a food truck.
“I made my own sauce that goes on top,” he said. “People loved it.”
Before long, customers wanted bottles to take home.
What started as a homemade recipe eventually became a retail product.
Taylor initially bottled the sauce himself under Maryland’s cottage food regulations. As demand increased, production outgrew his kitchen. Today, the sauce is bottled professionally in Norfolk, Virginia.
His signature sauce is already available through Fireman’s Cafe, Jumbo Food stores, and BK Villa, with plans to expand into Giant, Safeway, and Shoppers Food Warehouse through a retail distribution partnership.
The sauce has become far more than a seafood topping.
“It goes on everything,” Taylor laughed.
The menu reflects that versatility.
Guests can enjoy Shrabcakes®, shrimp macaroni and cheese, creamy Maryland seafood bisque filled with shrimp and crab, shrimp and spinach dip, loaded shrimp fries, and other seafood favorites that celebrate the region’s culinary heritage.
Taylor’s reach extends beyond his restaurant.
Fireman’s Cafe also operates a concession stand inside Commanders Stadium, serving football fans and concertgoers from the Miller Club, Section 323.
For Taylor, entrepreneurship has become another form of public service.
After spending more than a quarter-century protecting lives as a firefighter, he now serves his community by creating jobs, building a recognizable Maryland food brand, and delivering memorable meals one customer at a time.
As our conversation came to an end, I found myself saying something I had probably been thinking for years.
“I’m proud of you, Rodney,” I told him. “You always were positive. You were always doing something constructive. I’m not surprised. I’m just glad we circled back.”
Some reunions remind us how much people have changed.
Others remind us they never did.
Rodney Taylor is still serving.
He’s just wearing a different uniform now.
Fireman’s Cafe
9101 Kinney Place
Clinton, MD 20735
firemanscafe.com
Phone: (301) 877-3473
Instagram: @FiremansCafe
Editor’s Note: Rodney Taylor is a retired member of the Washington, D.C. Fire Department who served for 26 years before founding Fireman’s Cafe. His signature Shrabcake® and seafood sauce have become staples of the restaurant’s growing brand, with products now expanding into retail distribution throughout the region.
Thank you to all first responders for your service!
