Annapolis Restaurants/Where To Eat 2016/ I-Day CVW Visit Graduation PPW

[Capt MJ]

Thank you! We will give it a try and my daughter will be ecstatic!

And they have a lovely display case of gelati!

 

[OtB]

Crepes from Sofie's… Nutella, Banana & Strawberries and The Kevin Bacon

 

[OtB]

Since this is one of my favorite threads, I thought I would summarize it into list of Annapolis Area restaurants, similar to the "Appointment Thread".

ON THE YARD.

Drydock, in Dahlgren Hall.
Grill and snack bar open to public. Good basics much cheaper than outside the gates.

Club.
Lunch and brunch, some dinners. Not sure what rules are for using. I am usually there for wedding/funeral receptions.


DTA (DOWNTOWN ANNAPOLIS):

Iron Rooster.
Universal favorite, just a few years in DTA, beloved by locals, visitors and mids. American comfort food done with style and quality. All-day breakfast. House-made pop tarts. Don't ask. Just go.

Buddy's Crabs and Ribs.
Perennial brunch favorite for lots of food and cheaper end of the spectrum.

Federal House.
Good all-around restaurant.

McGarvey's.
Raw bar for those who like it. Long-time Annapolis watering hole for boat people. Good all-around menu.

Middleton's.
Colonial tavern, more upscale menu.

Chick 'N' Ruth's Delly. (they spell it that way)
Annapolis institution. An experience.

Potato Valley.
On State Circle. Hole in the wall for lunch, serving huge baked potatoes with a wide range of toppings that make it a meal.

Pusser's Tavern.
Marriott Hotel restaurant on the water. Typical pricey hotel food, but for a drink on the water and an appetizer, a block to check. There's just something about having a Dark and Stormy on the deck on a summer evening looking out at the boats at anchor that I have to do every so often with DH.

Galway Bay
Castle Bay
the Irish pubs.

Reynolds Tavern.
Another Colonial setting, on Church Circle. Known for afternoon tea and nice dinners.

The Big Cheese.
Well-known for great take-out sandwiches, "Best in Annapolis" for years running. A bit expensive but worth it. Take-out only. You can set up a charge account for your mids. You pay. They eat. "The Annapolitan" - crusty roll from Baltimore's Little Italy, melted Brie, sliced Granny Smith apples. Mmmm


UPTOWN ANNAPOLIS. Along West St. from State Circle to the Spa Road Circle near the Westin.

Ram's Head Tavern.
Micro-brewery gastro pub. A local favorite. Good all-round menu.

Level.
Small plates, very good food.

Red, Red Wine Bar.
Good food too.

Lemongrass.
Thai. Very popular.

Fadò.
Irish pub chain.

Miss Shirley's.
A breakfast/lunch favorite to rival Iron Rooster. Started in Baltimore.


MALL AREA. Includes Westfield Shoppingtown Annapolis ("Annapolis Mall") , the Festival at Riva and The Shops at Parole.

Most of the major chains at every price point.


GREATER ANNAPOLIS AND SURROUNDS.

Cantler's.
Perennial favorite of generations of locals, mids, alumni. Classic crab deck on the water. No reservations. Tuck your napkin around your neck, spread out the butcher paper, grab your crab mallet, and get cracking. All crab decks have burgers, sandwiches, seafood in season, other stuff.

Deep Creek Cafe.
Similar to Cantler's, crab deck on the water. In Arnold.

Mike's on the South River.
Technically in Riva. Another classic old-school crab deck.

Severn Inn.
Upscale place across the water on the Severn River, great view of USNA. Seafood.

Pa Dutch Market, or Amish Market, as most locals call it.
A market co-op only open Thurs, Fri, Sat, run by Amish families from PA. Everything homemade. Eat breakfast, lunch or dinner in the small cafe. Get a just made pretzel wrapped around a sausage or hot dog to eat while wandering around looking at the baked goods (made on premises in an open bakery), produce, pickles and jams, and the meat counters. Always jammed on Sat AM. We love it. Our visitors love it.

Chris' Charcoal Pit.
Hole-in-the-wall in strip mall with Greek food. Many Greek families in Annapolis from the fishing and boating industries going back to the 1800's. West St.

Paul's Homewood Cafe.
Nice Greek restaurant, local favorite. West St.

Giolitti's Deli.
Near Shops at Parole, off West St. My favorite Italian deli for subs on homemade rolls, and hand made pasta. Take out or eat there. Been there for 20+ years.

Mission BBQ.
Local chain spreading rapidly. BBQ is always a source of controversy, as it should be. Dedicated to armed forces and first responders.

Double T Diner.
West St. Starving? Weird time of day? Want breakfast food? Everybody wants something different? Classic diner with massive menu. Open 24 hours.


EASTPORT.
Across the tiny bridge near the Marriott.

Chart House.
A personal favorite. Located in an historic boathouse that built PT boats during WW II. Upscale steak and seafood chain with killer views across the Annapolis Harbor to USNA.

Carrol's Creek Cafe.
Views. Upscale. Seafood.

Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The chain.

Lewnes' Steakhouse.
An Annapolis original, same scale as Ruth's, but with been-there-forever charm. Go at least once, to celebrate something.

Sofi's Crepes

Annapolis Ice Cream. Of course! In DTA.

Naval Bagels.
Taylor Ave. across from stadium. Breakfast and lunch. To go or eat in, bagels all kinds of ways. Meet most of Annapolis here at some point.

Bagels And...
West St. Same thing. Used to be owned by same person. No longer, but essentially same menu.

Old Stein Inn.
In Edgewater. Pleasant out of the way beer garden restaurant with decent schnitzel. When you're tired of crab!

Ann's Dari Creme.
Glen Burnie. Like Chick 'N' Ruth's, an area institution. Known for foot-long dogs, hoagies and shakes. Looks like a 50's joint because it is. Perched on the edge of Marley Station Mall, because they refused to sell out. It's odd, real and some summer days, just what you want. The waitresses do your order from memory, repeating it to the cook, and several minutes later, repeat it back to you at the cash register.

Harry Browne's.
DTA. State Circle fine dining.

Treaty of Paris.
Ditto above, but Church Circle.

Italian Market.
Greater Annapolis, near Mall, off Defense Highway. Family restaurant owned by my neighbors, a family from Naples. Good for lunch and dinner.

Eggcellence.
Greater Annapolis, in a strip not far from Mall area. When you can't face the lines at Iron Rooster or Miss Shirley's for breakfast. Breakfast and lunch.

The Main Ingredient.
Greater Annapolis. One of the top caterers in Annapolis has a cafe adjacent to their catering kitchen. Excellent for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A secret locals' fave, but I have just blown that.

Grumps Cafe.
Greater Annapolis. Another hidden gem and local favorite. Breakfast and lunch best.

Grapes Wine Bar.
Greater Annapolis. Adjacent to Wine Cellars of Annapolis. Not so much for the mids (though we take food-savvy 1/c there) but an excellent restorative for parents. Superb small plates. Order, share, order more.

Jalapeños.
Near Mall area. Another local gem, quirkily situated in a strip mall. Owned by a retired chef well-known in DC, a mix of authentic Spanish cuisine and and regional Mexican specialties.

BBQ Places. No reviews from me, too controversial and an American tradition to hotly contest. I happily eat BBQ all around the country and every style, and all of these places have a few things I enjoy.

Bayside Bull.
Edgewater. Take-out. Rick Smith is the pit master, and he and his wife Nadine own one of the top catering businesses in Annapolis, doing alumni events at the stadium, weddings (she has Catering by the Bay for non-q items), Brigade bull roasts, etc. This is the one place you can get his meats if not at an event.

Adam's Ribs.
Eastport. A local favorite.

Mission BBQ.
As noted in first post.

Famous Dave's.
Near Mall.

Pit Boys.
Off West St. Another local favorite.

Red, Hot and Blue.
Off US 50 enroute Bay Bridge. Chain.

Hogs on the Hill.
Included because it is an expedition, and a joint, on DC outskirts. Used to be a real dicey area, but has been re-developed as "Gateway" Washington. Serious sides. Just take US 50 straight from Annapolis to Bladensburg Rd. on DC-MD line. Take-out only. Get out of the car, and the smoker aroma hits you right away. Lots of food for not too much money. As I said, an expedition. Wear dark shirts, sit in the car, grab extra napkins.

O'Leary's Seafood" on Third Street in Eastbay....(My own MIDS favorite for the food while I enjoy it equally for The Bronx...one serious cocktail!)

Mason's Lobster Rolls

The Naval Academy Club, on the Yard near Gate 3, is open to all for lunch. A little nicer than Drydock (it has table service). It's members-only after 3. The brunch selection is staggering.

Boatyard in Eastport

Burgers.
If you can't face controversy in other threads, and the waiting is driving you crazy, I am sure piling on places to get a good burger will fill the void. Right. And, if your mid says "I need a burger, now," you will have options.

Note: Most bar/grill restaurants in DTA do a good burger. And, sigh, there is no In-N-Out.

In no particular order:

Ram's Head.
Uptown Annapolis. Especially when you get the handmade beer-battered onion rings.

Federal House.

McGarvey's.

Cheeburger Cheeburger.
Festival at Riva, Mall Area. "Frings" = hand cut fries + hand made rings.

Five Guys.

Red Robin.

Fuddrucker's.

Dry 85.

Vin 909.
Eastport. No reservations, lines out the door the last two times I drove by. Haven't tried it yet, but it is a new hot spot. Website says "farm-to-table," clearly in the trending restaurant style of locally-sourced ingredients, green approach, etc.

The Point Crabhouse and Grill on Mill Creek Rd in Arnold. Waterfront on the Magothy River.

+ a new Mission BBQ is going to open soon on the corner at Randall & Dock St.

Mangia.
DTA. Italian. Owner is from Sicily. It's sit-down, but you can get it all to go, including pizza slices, at the first floor counter. Find a nice bench around the docks and enjoy the view.

Market House concessions.
DTA. There are various take-out concessions inside, though I am not current on what, as there is always turnover. Market House, in some form or another, has stood on that spot across from the harbor dock since colonial times. Kunta Kinte, the historical figure and African slave central to Alex Haley's "Roots," was, sadly, sold in the dock market area. Historical markers there. Can't wait to see the upcoming TV re-make of the original mini-series.

Pip's Dock Street Dogs.
DTA. Take-out. Good dogs. Also burgers.

Café Normandie, DTA, Main St.
I can't believe I forgot this first time around. Classic French country food, an Annapolis favorite for many years. One of our favorites for Saturday morning breakfast for egg dishes and crêpes done right, as well as excellent dinners.

The Boatyard is our favorite!

We recently ate at Blackwall Hitch in Eastport and it was excellent. Ample parking is a bonus.

If you do get sucked into Kilwins, skip the ice cream and get a piece of their salted caramel fudge... amazing.

Café Normandie is excellent as well. Nice casual country French and not overly expensive. Right in DTA.

Bella Italia (Taylor Avenue, next to Naval Bagels). Simple Italian food - pastas, sandwiches, pizza. Not expensive. A good stop when you are returning them to the Yard via Gate 8.

Mission BBQ just opened in DTA (right on Dock St at Randall). While the mids get tired of it, it's very good, especially when it's freshly prepared. They have a military-loving atmosphere, USNA memorabilia on the walls, friendly service, and good prices.

Chesapeake Bay Brewing , relatively new brew pub in the old Firehouse on West Street. Owned by one of my Classmates ('85!) , home of the Beat Army bar and Beat Army lager !

The other Mission BBQ is on West St., near Somerville Ave., in new satellite strip adjacent to the Parole shopping center that has Whole Foods. Easy parking at this one.

And let's not forget the Whole Foods prepared foods area: salads, veg, BBQ, custom subs, fresh pizza, desserts. The hot pretzel rolls. Eating area and free WiFi. We occasionally take our sponsor mids there and they all enjoy customizing their meal.

Mike's Crab House in Riva...okay, it's not terribly low cost (last month six crabs were $35 or so...price went down as the number went up) but the quality is AWESOME!!!

Kilwins for ice cream. We tried several places, and while all were good, Kilwins was the best by far -- biggest variety of flavors, the creamiest, and fresh waffle cones. Will go back there every time.

Tsunami was excellent for sushi/sashimi, and had lots of other yummy options too. Excellent service.

Red Bean coffee shop in the historic part of town. Cantler's crab cakes and coconut salmon appetizer bites.....

Mangia's Italian / Charlie's Bar. Not expensive. Great calzones! And great views.

Eastport Kitchen.
Eastport in small shopping center, easy parking.
Eclectic menu, excellent breakfasts and lunch, open for dinner some nights. Excellent quality and prices.
Really good burger according to DH.

The Italian Market. It has gluten-free pizza. It's owned by a family from Naples. Everybody can eat happily there. You order from the counter and take a number to your table. Very relaxed place.

 

[ktnatalk]

Wow! I have to park myself in Annapolis for a week just to handle such a list!

 

[flieger83]

Wow! I have to park myself in Annapolis for a week just to handle such a list!

From a USAFA guy...it wouldn't be a bad week!

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

 

[parentalunit2]

We will find ourselves in Annapolis once again this summer, and one of the things I am most looking forward to is trying out this Iron Rooster you all speak of!

 

[Capt MJ]

We will find ourselves in Annapolis once again this summer, and one of the things I am most looking forward to is trying out this Iron Rooster you all speak of!

Tip: order the Pop Tart of the Day to split, as a starter. Yes, it's sweet, but you'll never get to one after your main meal. Just roll with it.

They do take Open Table reservations, but only evenings.

 

[Sydney C.]

Tip: order the Pop Tart of the Day to split, as a starter..

And....if you can snag one of those sweet seats at the cozy bar (preferably at the elbow in the corner) enjoy said Pop Tart of the Day with a finely made Bloody Mary! (I know...Bloody Mary and Pop Tart? Hey, I gotta get my fruits and vegetables any way I can)

 

[ktnatalk]

Try this Maple Glazed Chop at the Rooster. Juicy and prefectly cooked! Just show them this picture!

 

[parentalunit2]

Will do everyone! I'll order it all!

 

[THS]

Wow, ktnatalk, that looks GOOD! We will have to have dinner at the IR during our next visit!

 

[ktnatalk]

Wow, ktnatalk, that looks GOOD! We will have to have dinner at the IR during our next visit!

It tastes even better! Is this an invitation?

 

[OtB]

In order to practice your time management skills, stop by the Amish Market and have yourself a fresh baked pretzel log. They're only open Thursday (9-6), Friday (9-6), and Saturday (8:30-3), so plan accordingly.

 

[ktnatalk]

View attachment 868

In order to practice your time management skills, stop by the Amish Market and have yourself a fresh baked pretzel log. They're only open Thursday (9-6), Friday (9-6), and Saturday (8:30-3), so plan accordingly.

Now we are talking...

 

[THS]

Celebrated DS bday last fall and bought him a chocolate cake at the Amish market - it was very good!

 

[Capt MJ]

Crab Tots!

Something new to me in crab decadence... I had lunch with an OCS classmate at Ram's Head Tavern on West St. in Uptown Annapolis today. (Listed in Master List)

We split a plate of Crabby Tots:
"Tater tots topped with crab dip, cheddar jack cheese and Old Bay seasoning, baked and finished with scallions." My dogs will be going on a double-long walk this evening.

 

[nolamomma]

We will find ourselves in Annapolis once again this summer, and one of the things I am most looking forward to is trying out this Iron Rooster you all speak of!

Those Pop tarts

 

[Capt MJ]

Pop tarts. Crab tots. Walkie Cup from Annapolis Ice Cream. Mmmmm

 

[THS]

Really appreciate the restaurant and food suggestions since we are always pressed for time when we visit and having a list of recommendations makes it easier to decide. Won't be back until 2/C parent weekend this fall. The crab tots sound delicious! Tried a ramen place a couple streets from Gate 1 last fall and it was ... meh ... not like the ramen/noodle places in and around Los Angeles. Any suggestions?

 

[Capt MJ]

Really appreciate the restaurant and food suggestions since we are always pressed for time when we visit and having a list of recommendations makes it easier to decide. Won't be back until 2/C parent weekend this fall. The crab tots sound delicious! Tried a ramen place a couple streets from Gate 1 last fall and it was ... meh ... not like the ramen/noodle places in and around Los Angeles. Any suggestions?

I like Lemongrass and Lemongrass 2, which has much easier parking, tucked in a strip mall off Housley Rd near the Mall (Best Buy, PetsMart, Safeway, Burlington are the anchors) for Thai. They understand hot.

We head into DC or NoVa for Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, regional Chinese. Much more variety. We read the Wash Post reviews and plan expeditions. We were spoiled by tours in San Francisco, Long Beach/LA, Pearl Harbor, and many visits/port calls in Hong Kong (street stalls) and Singapore (Night Market). We lived in Huntington Beach and had all kinds of favorite places in Westminster/Fountain Valley, what is called Little Saigon. Am sure you know it.

Ramen and noodle places in or near Annapolis...not a strong point.

I admit to always checking Food Network and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives before traveling. Lots of fun, original, authentic places in the Baltimore neighborhoods.