Southern Maryland for the best seafood

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 12:02am

I’ve been remiss in not reporting on the abundance of great seafood restaurants in Calvert and St.Mary’s Counties – the Western Shore of the Chesapeake. The seafood there is better and fresher than any I’ve found in DC. My latest favorite is the Drift Inn, the first crab house on the Patuxent, where Nancy had a beautiful crab cake

and I had a sensational soft-shell crab sandwich

The prices also are much lower than in DC. Hidden Harbour, a tiny little place that offers and 8 ounce crab cake with no filler – none - for only $30!

Another very unlikely local spot with a 5 ounce crab cake – again, no filler – for $20 is Buckets.

Buckets occupies the rear half of a building, the front half of which is a beer carry-out place.

Despite the setting, Bucket has a sensational Reuben (or Rachel, I should say), with pastrami hot-smoked on site.

Sensational. They also have the best bleu cheese dip for wings on earth – it’s actually very good quality bleu cheese and thick as can be. It’s also used in theirr macaroni and cheese, and it takes it to another level.
And everywhere you go there’s sensational rockfish, in gyro format(!) and blackened at Stoney’s/Clarke’s Landing –

or in Calvert Crab and Seafood, another tiny place with superb seafood,

and the more sophisticated La Vela

The area is really wonderland, with all manner of good food. And I haven’t even mentioned steamed crabs

ZivBnd · July 23, 2024, 12:15am

Beautiful! You dined well!
I loved the balcony at La Vela! Great staff and very good food!
I always wanted to get to Hidden Harbour, never got there.

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 11:53am

Agree completely re La Vela. But these places really just scratch the surface. Both counties are full of excellent food.

tcamp · July 23, 2024, 12:36pm

Thx for the update.

Did you happen to see any snakehead on the menu? I’m always on the hunt. I saw a fish market near St. Michaels that had a sign in the window indicating they sold snakehead but we were biking past after closing time.

bmorecupcake · July 23, 2024, 1:01pm

Much thanks for this posting. Can’t wait to go when I get back to Maryland. Do you know if any of these places bake their own bread?

ZivBnd · July 23, 2024, 3:46pm

It has been a long time since either of them were merely “old fashioned” but two of my favorite places in Southern Maryland are Seafood Corner in Mechanicsville for carryout (picnic table to the side of the place). The fried fisherman’s platter was just $13 a few years ago and was a feast. No idea what the price is now, but “MORE!” is probably accurate.

Another of the old school favorites is Courtney’s in Ridge, way down there south of St. Mary’s right on the water. I had the fish basket (with some really good hushpuppies) and the day I was there it was striper, fried just right. The couple that run it are definitely getting along in years, and it is way dated, so I am not sure if it is still open. Fancy restaurant opened up next door but it was only ok when I visited. Very nice location for both, though.

I almost forgot Pinky’s Eatery south of Owings. That place rocks! Great greens, outstanding hushpuppies and the fried fish it outstanding! Their seafood platter is expensive but it weighs a ton and it is done right! Ribs are good too.

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 5:52pm

Not that I’m aware. Bread is not one of the strong points of Southern Maryland

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 5:56pm

I haven’t been to Thompson’s. Is it all carry out?

And I love Courtney’s – which has the very best seafood dish in the Mid-Atlantic (not that I’ve tried them all). It’s still going! You need a strategy, though. https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/2021/10/11/courtneys-seafood-restaurant-ridge-maryland/

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 5:58pm

And I almost forgot Pinky’s. It;s out of my way, so I’ve only gone there once. I enjoyed some wood-cooked barbecue there - or outside – during the depths of the lockdowns

Steve · July 23, 2024, 5:58pm

Drift In and Harbor House have long been considered top notch, so it’s good to know they can still put out some great food.

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 5:59pm

I’ve seen snakehead on a menu, but can’t remember exactly where. We get it at Captain Smith’s seafood market in Solomons, where we get most the fish to cook at home

ZivBnd · July 23, 2024, 6:37pm

Oh, man. I did not think to order the stuffed rockfish. I am way jealous!
Seafood Corner is all carry out, they have a narrow lane to peruse the prepared foods and to order from.
I just remembered another cafe in Solomons Island area that i liked but i cannot remember the main dish, only that i loved the hushpuppies, they were almost a meal in themselves.
But i am a sucker for hushpuppies… It is CD Cafe if memory serves.

johntannerbbq · July 23, 2024, 7:09pm

CD Cafe is good. Down near Courtney’s is POV at Pier 450. It’s a fairly high end place in what used to be a motel/restaurant/resort. The food is good and I understand the mtrel rooms have ben refurbished into sort of arty spaces. And then there’s the Reluctant Navigator and WJ Dent/Chief’s in Tall Timbers (whence the TT oysters at the Fall Line in town). I’ve herd Captain Pat’s very good, and Captain Leonards in and Smokehouse BBQ Shack in Mechanicsville and …

bmorecupcake · August 10, 2024, 8:01pm

Courtney’s sounds too good to be true. We will try to visit tomorrow. I’ll be sure to report back if we go.

johntannerbbq · August 10, 2024, 9:12pm

Great. It does require some patience. Plan to tailgate for a bit. Besides the main attraction, I’ve heard great things about their softshells and blackberry cobbler.

bmorecupcake · August 10, 2024, 9:52pm

They open early and I verified they will serve fish/ crabs soon as they open. So we’ll head there first and bring some activities with us, too. I don’t think I’ve ever had crabcakes made with fresh-picked local crab, so I’m very excited.