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An aerial view of Ocean City’s boardwalk.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Where to Eat and Drink When Visiting Ocean City, Maryland

Crab cakes and orange crushes are what this Maryland getaway is all about

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An aerial view of Ocean City’s boardwalk.
| Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The town that orange crushes built, Ocean City, Maryland is also the vacation destination where many in the Mid-Atlantic flock to in the summer with family and friends.

For those mapping out a trip to OC this summer, there are several pit stops along the way for prime pit-beef sandwiches and superior sno-balls. But don't fill up too much on the three-hour drive from D.C., because Ocean City is a wonderland of eating and drinking too. After all, this shore town is home to one of the highest-grossing bars in America, Seacrets Jamaica USA. Good luck scoring a bushel of crabs from Higgins, Crab Bag, or Hooper’s on peak holiday weekends, so be sure to plan ahead accordingly (for more Maryland crab houses worth the drive, go here). And on Friday, September 1, Ocean City welcomes a luxe new beachfront restaurant called the Tide Room.

Well-seasoned visitors know the deal — there are certain eateries and bars to hit along Coastal Highway-1, and there’s almost always some Old Bay involved, too. Here are the top stops in Ocean City.

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Über Bagels & Deli

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This New York-style bagel shop, now open daily for the season, is a shore favorite for everything from a dozen everything to a bacon-egg-and-cheese to a bagel loaded with lox. There’s also an Old Bay bagel and pretzel bagels for the Philly set. Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pablo's Bowls (multiple locations)

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This Salisbury University venture has extended its roots to the shore with a tiny shack serving fresh-pressed juice, smoothie bowls, and vegan-friendly options. Handmade acai bowls and Maryland's Rise & Grind Coffee are the main draws in this grab-n-go setting. Online ordering and delivery is now available, too. Its three OC locales are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Original Greene Turtle

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Whether you’re part of the mug club or just here to scarf down some wings, this quintessential Maryland bar that got its start in North Ocean City continues to draw in thirsty throngs in search of a proper sports pub.

Liquid Assets

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Award-winning Liquid Assets is an upscale wine and martini bar with a wide selection of bites, local seafood, and cheeses sourced from around the world.

Trattoria Lombardi's Restaurant

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This family-style red sauce joint maintains a brisk business based on its reputation for slinging some of the top pies in town. It’s best to call ahead and do takeout at the peak of dinner. Try the “famous summer pizza” with mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomato, olive oil, and garlic.

The Bayside Skillet

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Known as “the crepe and omelet place,” this savory breakfast joint that’s pretty in pink pairs beautiful bayside views with fresh-squeezed mimosas. Year-round hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Rosenfeld's Jewish Delicatessen

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This deli adjacent to the 59th Street bridge is a go-to staple for stacked deli sandwiches, chopped liver, and eclairs. The restaurant goes back several decades and serves kosher-style food all year long. This summer is last call for the OC location, which plans to close after Labor Day.

Fager's Island

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This fine-dining American restaurant with bayside views serves upscale eats like prime rib, pan-seared scallops, lobster many ways, oysters, and cream of Maryland crab soup prepared daily. The white-tablecloth venue also delivers on classic cocktails and wines.

Belly Busters

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This sub stop is popular for cheesesteaks and those seeking steamed crabs doused in Old Bay seasoning. Crabs here come by the tray load and soft shells are served early into the season.

On the Bay Seafood

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You can’t beat the sights, sounds, and steamed crabs at this quintessential Maryland crab house. While there are plenty of other options to order a bushel, On the Bay is guaranteed to have some of the freshest jumbos around.

Barn 34

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Captain Crunch French toast or crabby eggs make Barn 34 a standout option for brunch. It also serves a superior bloody mary, spiced with Old Bay and topped with shrimp.

Fractured Prune (multiple locations)

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Get your hands sticky with these sweet treats that originated in Ocean City. Fractured Prune now has several locations up and down the Eastern Shore, but only one claims the namesake for the OC Sand donut, a warm honey glazed donut dipped in cinnamon and sugar.

28th St. Pit-n-Pub

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This beloved smokehouse situated in South Ocean City offers brisket, smoked wings, racks of ribs, and whole smoked chickens with all the fixings.

Pickles Pub

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Popular with the Baltimore crew, this popular pub next to Camden Yards is open all year, seven days a week on 8th Street and Philadelphia Avenue. The bar is known for its pickleback shots and serves $5 orange crushes on Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to close and bloody marys for the same price on Sundays until 4 p.m.

Shotti's Point Cafe

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From breakfast sandwiches to ahi tuna tacos, Shotti’s is one of the freshest options for breakfast or lunch on the boardwalk. The colossal crab cake is made with six ounces of jumbo lump crab meat.

Spain Wine Bar

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Perched atop the Cambria Hotel, polished newcomer Spain Wine Bar serves tapas, hearty skillets of paella (seafood, beef, or chorizo), cured meat and cheese boards, and of course, Spanish wines. Brunch brings caramelized French toast and crab cakes with homemade hollandaise to the table. Wrap up the meal with velvety cheesecake, olive oil cake, or churros. Founder Peter Elias formerly managed D.C.’s Barcelona Wine Bar.

M.R. Ducks

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From chugga-duck shots to orange crushes at sunset, M.R. Ducks is a bayside dock bar where boaters flock for happy hour. Its seafood-heavy menu celebrates the Chesapeake Bay with battered rockfish sandwiches and a pound of (hot or cold) crab meat with crackers.

Harbor Inn

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The oldest bar in Ocean City has been in continuous operation for more than eight decades. The building dates back to the 1800s, and this dive is the spot to order Maryland craft beers, lemon drop shots, or a Natty Boh served with a whiskey sidecar.

Sunset Grille

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With Van Halen and Led Zeppelin tribute nights, a vast surf-and-turf menu, and sunset espresso martinis, this 19-year-old dockside staple has it all.

Cork Bar

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Arguably the best bar on the boardwalk, Cork Bar has been serving up frosty pints and OC’s top-rated wings for more than five decades.

Thrasher's French Fries (multiple locations)

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Around since 1929, Marylanders know Thrasher’s fries complete a perfect day at the beach. Just be sure to apply some vinegar then pepper its famous fries in some Old Bay seasoning. OC is home to three iconic locations, with a web cam showing live queues of fry-ordering fans.

Dumser's Dairyland Boardwalk (multiple locations)

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It’s the soft serve that reigns supreme on the Ocean City Boardwalk, and with six other locations up and down Coastal Highway, it’s a shore bet that ice cream will become a nightly ritual during a beach trip.

Pier 23

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OC’s first waterfront food port debuted last year in renovated shipping containers. Parked in West Ocean City on the commercial fishing harbor, the all-outdoor venue offers a versatile menu full of tacos, sliders, wraps, and sandwiches to go along with sangrias, crushes, and margaritas. A full-size stage frequently hosts live music and entertainment.

Pier 23 opened in spring 2022.
Pier 23/Facebook

Harborside Bar & Grill

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This bayside watering hole is technically located in West Ocean City, but it takes top honors for being the inventor of Ocean City’s signature cocktail the orange crush. Crushes here come in several varieties, including grapefruit and creamsicle flavors.

Harrison's Harbor Watch

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This waterfront restaurant has a full-service raw bar with the highest quality of hand-tonged oysters from local waters that also appear in its famous oyster stew. In the summer season, fish such as flounder, mahi-mahi, and swordfish are pulled straight off the boats that dock at the Commercial Harbor in West Ocean City, served fresh the same day.

Über Bagels & Deli

This New York-style bagel shop, now open daily for the season, is a shore favorite for everything from a dozen everything to a bacon-egg-and-cheese to a bagel loaded with lox. There’s also an Old Bay bagel and pretzel bagels for the Philly set. Open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Pablo's Bowls (multiple locations)

This Salisbury University venture has extended its roots to the shore with a tiny shack serving fresh-pressed juice, smoothie bowls, and vegan-friendly options. Handmade acai bowls and Maryland's Rise & Grind Coffee are the main draws in this grab-n-go setting. Online ordering and delivery is now available, too. Its three OC locales are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Original Greene Turtle

Whether you’re part of the mug club or just here to scarf down some wings, this quintessential Maryland bar that got its start in North Ocean City continues to draw in thirsty throngs in search of a proper sports pub.

Liquid Assets

Award-winning Liquid Assets is an upscale wine and martini bar with a wide selection of bites, local seafood, and cheeses sourced from around the world.

Trattoria Lombardi's Restaurant

This family-style red sauce joint maintains a brisk business based on its reputation for slinging some of the top pies in town. It’s best to call ahead and do takeout at the peak of dinner. Try the “famous summer pizza” with mozzarella, fresh basil, sliced tomato, olive oil, and garlic.

The Bayside Skillet

Known as “the crepe and omelet place,” this savory breakfast joint that’s pretty in pink pairs beautiful bayside views with fresh-squeezed mimosas. Year-round hours are 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Rosenfeld's Jewish Delicatessen

This deli adjacent to the 59th Street bridge is a go-to staple for stacked deli sandwiches, chopped liver, and eclairs. The restaurant goes back several decades and serves kosher-style food all year long. This summer is last call for the OC location, which plans to close after Labor Day.

Fager's Island

This fine-dining American restaurant with bayside views serves upscale eats like prime rib, pan-seared scallops, lobster many ways, oysters, and cream of Maryland crab soup prepared daily. The white-tablecloth venue also delivers on classic cocktails and wines.

Belly Busters

This sub stop is popular for cheesesteaks and those seeking steamed crabs doused in Old Bay seasoning. Crabs here come by the tray load and soft shells are served early into the season.

On the Bay Seafood

You can’t beat the sights, sounds, and steamed crabs at this quintessential Maryland crab house. While there are plenty of other options to order a bushel, On the Bay is guaranteed to have some of the freshest jumbos around.

Barn 34

Captain Crunch French toast or crabby eggs make Barn 34 a standout option for brunch. It also serves a superior bloody mary, spiced with Old Bay and topped with shrimp.

Fractured Prune (multiple locations)

Get your hands sticky with these sweet treats that originated in Ocean City. Fractured Prune now has several locations up and down the Eastern Shore, but only one claims the namesake for the OC Sand donut, a warm honey glazed donut dipped in cinnamon and sugar.

28th St. Pit-n-Pub

This beloved smokehouse situated in South Ocean City offers brisket, smoked wings, racks of ribs, and whole smoked chickens with all the fixings.

Pickles Pub

Popular with the Baltimore crew, this popular pub next to Camden Yards is open all year, seven days a week on 8th Street and Philadelphia Avenue. The bar is known for its pickleback shots and serves $5 orange crushes on Fridays from 9:30 p.m. to close and bloody marys for the same price on Sundays until 4 p.m.

Shotti's Point Cafe

From breakfast sandwiches to ahi tuna tacos, Shotti’s is one of the freshest options for breakfast or lunch on the boardwalk. The colossal crab cake is made with six ounces of jumbo lump crab meat.

Related Maps

Spain Wine Bar

Perched atop the Cambria Hotel, polished newcomer Spain Wine Bar serves tapas, hearty skillets of paella (seafood, beef, or chorizo), cured meat and cheese boards, and of course, Spanish wines. Brunch brings caramelized French toast and crab cakes with homemade hollandaise to the table. Wrap up the meal with velvety cheesecake, olive oil cake, or churros. Founder Peter Elias formerly managed D.C.’s Barcelona Wine Bar.

M.R. Ducks

From chugga-duck shots to orange crushes at sunset, M.R. Ducks is a bayside dock bar where boaters flock for happy hour. Its seafood-heavy menu celebrates the Chesapeake Bay with battered rockfish sandwiches and a pound of (hot or cold) crab meat with crackers.

Harbor Inn

The oldest bar in Ocean City has been in continuous operation for more than eight decades. The building dates back to the 1800s, and this dive is the spot to order Maryland craft beers, lemon drop shots, or a Natty Boh served with a whiskey sidecar.

Sunset Grille

With Van Halen and Led Zeppelin tribute nights, a vast surf-and-turf menu, and sunset espresso martinis, this 19-year-old dockside staple has it all.

Cork Bar

Arguably the best bar on the boardwalk, Cork Bar has been serving up frosty pints and OC’s top-rated wings for more than five decades.

Thrasher's French Fries (multiple locations)

Around since 1929, Marylanders know Thrasher’s fries complete a perfect day at the beach. Just be sure to apply some vinegar then pepper its famous fries in some Old Bay seasoning. OC is home to three iconic locations, with a web cam showing live queues of fry-ordering fans.

Dumser's Dairyland Boardwalk (multiple locations)

It’s the soft serve that reigns supreme on the Ocean City Boardwalk, and with six other locations up and down Coastal Highway, it’s a shore bet that ice cream will become a nightly ritual during a beach trip.

Pier 23

OC’s first waterfront food port debuted last year in renovated shipping containers. Parked in West Ocean City on the commercial fishing harbor, the all-outdoor venue offers a versatile menu full of tacos, sliders, wraps, and sandwiches to go along with sangrias, crushes, and margaritas. A full-size stage frequently hosts live music and entertainment.

Pier 23 opened in spring 2022.
Pier 23/Facebook

Harborside Bar & Grill

This bayside watering hole is technically located in West Ocean City, but it takes top honors for being the inventor of Ocean City’s signature cocktail the orange crush. Crushes here come in several varieties, including grapefruit and creamsicle flavors.

Harrison's Harbor Watch

This waterfront restaurant has a full-service raw bar with the highest quality of hand-tonged oysters from local waters that also appear in its famous oyster stew. In the summer season, fish such as flounder, mahi-mahi, and swordfish are pulled straight off the boats that dock at the Commercial Harbor in West Ocean City, served fresh the same day.

Related Maps