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

Capt MJ

Formerly Known As Attila The Hunnette
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Ok, I am starting to see the annual rounds of where-to-eat-Annapolis-during-CVW/visit/I-Day etc., so I am creating a fresh thread with an easily searchable title. There are dozens of posts stashed in various threads, but not necessarily obvious. There was recently a great string of posts about breakfast places, in a Patriot League Swimming thread. Since sometimes I am great at remembering where these posts are, or search well, and sometimes not, I will just go for the pile into the bus approach.

I started a "Hotels Annapolis" and "USNA Parents Club" threads with the same approach, so with any luck they will pop up with logical search terms.

Some of these are on Open Table. Given the reverence paid to crab in this area, whether crab cake or crab bisque or whatever stuffed with crab, assume the crab items are good. A restaurant quickly fails if it doesn't do crab well. Most will have websites for further research. There are A LOT of choices. I have used a rough geographical approach. I look forward to all the posts. I live here, and always enjoy trying a place I have overlooked.

To seed the thread with a few choices in each area:

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.


Over to you!
 
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Capt MJ, as usual you covered all the bases...B-Z!

Thank you.
I am up with a sick dog. Might as well do a project that might be useful. Of course, I am hungry now, and find myself thinking I will get over to the Amish Market Fri or Sat and pick up some warm sticky buns for the weekend.
 

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Since we're off this week, Thursday morning breakfast at the market and Buddy's for Easter morning brunch after Mass. I'm now hungry...lol
 
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Since we're off this week, Thursday morning breakfast at the market. I'm now hungry...lol
The peach bread French toast. With the peach bread they just made. And the jar of homemade strawberry jam on the table.
Must. Stop. Now.
 
Per OtB in another thread -
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.
 
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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.
 
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May I add..."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!)
 
May I add..."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!)


Oh yes, of course! I knew there was another Eastport place I wanted to list.
 
And while you have all things Annapolis in your mind, learn about Eastport, tongue-in-cheek Maritime Republic of Eastport, or MRE on bumper stickers.

The city of Annapolis conducted a coup and annexed Eastport many years ago to broaden the city tax base. All those Federal buildings at USNA and state capital buildings do not pay property tax. The MRE was born.

The tiny drawbridge from Annapolis to Eastport is closed once a year for the Annapolis-to-Eastport .05K Run, and Tug of War.


http://www.themre.org
 
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.
 
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