Whenever I meet an Ocean City local or fan, I always ask … where’s your favorite breakfast? Dinner? Must-do? I adore discovering what other people love, so in case you’re curious about my favs, here’s mine … for now! We are broadening our horizons this year rather than sticking with our favorites. So check back here often and let me know what you love in the comments below!
Favorite Breakfast
Barn 34
By far, our favorite breakfast in town! If you’re a crab lover, get the crabby eggs. You’ll thank me later. Oh, and be sure to get there early during peak seasons because lines at Barn 34 are formed by 9:00 am!
Bayside Skillet
Bayside Skillet is a close, close second favorite, especially now that they’ve added a fantastic outdoor bar and additional seating! Get the strawberry mimosa … it will make your morning!
The General’s Kitchen
Not only is their famous chipped beef gravy AMAZING, but The General holds a special place in my heart since I used the location for a scene in my first novel, Beauty Shop for Rent! The location has changed but they still have that hometown flair.
Malia’s Cafe
Gotta admit that it’s the cuteness and all the glorious pink that makes me love this place! Great atsmosphere and food, plus they have outdoor dining available!
Uber Bagels
We admittedly mocked their name at first. But OH. MY. GOSH. Their bagels truly are amazing and well worth the trip to 128th Street! Order online since lines can get crazy.
Brass Balls
It’s been a while since we’ve had breakfast here but I’m still hearing good things. If you want boardwalk atmosphere and a view of the ocean, try Brass Balls!
Favorite Lunch
Longboard Cafe
Besides having one of the BEST fries in OC and cute outdoor dining, there are lots of shops nearby like Ron Jon Surf Shop and Patty Jean’s Boutique!
Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli
We finally stopped by for the first time last year and holy cow, the food there is so good with large portions!! No alcohol but your bill will be smaller. 😂
Anthony’s Liquors
Yes, I said liquors. But trust me that their deli menu is AMAZING!! Stop in for a lunchmeat sub to take out onto the beach. You won’t regret it!
Favorite Happy Hour
Bad Monkey
Whether you go to the 58th Street or Ocean Gateway locations, both happy hours are amazing! Two for one drinks 3:00-5:00. Go early for a seat at the bar and bring a coozie for your second drink!
Angler Restaurant & Bar
MR Ducks is awesome but often crowded, so if you’re craving more space, head to the other side of the pier to Angler’s! Great ambiance, lots of social-distanced tables, and they often have musical entertainment!
Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grille
Whenever my kids are in town, we always hit up Macky’s! It’s right on the water with gorgeous views and a great happy hour menu. Get there early if you want a table in the shade!
Barn 34
Barn 34 is always our go-to happy hour because of this guy, Rodney, our favorite OC bartender! If you stop by, try the Rum Punch, (or my son’s favorite – a mojito,) and tell him Laura and Bob say hello!
Coastal Salt
Coastal Salt is becoming a new must-do for us! Great atmosphere, friendly staff, a lovely view of the ocean, and awesome location right off the Boardwalk at 13th street!
M.R. Ducks
Before Covid, M.R. Ducks was our go-to happy hour spot and traditional first stop! Now that things are starting to calm down, we hope to return soon. Get there early for a stool!
Best Dinners … very hard to choose so more coming!
Ropewalk
A fantastic place for dinner! There’s plenty of seating options, indoor or out, with a gorgeous view of the bay and four different bars if you just want to hang out at happy hour. We love their fire pits on chilly evenings!
Sunset Grille
Okay. Bob and I used to balk at Sunset Grille because it’s on the pricey side. However, on this fun night, we danced to a live band and made a great evening of it! Definitely worth the price! Arriving on a boat was fun, too.
Fish Tales
Better pic coming soon that shows how cool this bayside restaurant is! The atmosphere at Fish Tales is great with lots of beach vibes, an area for the kids to play, an adult hangout, and good food. We often kayak there with our dog for lunch as well!
Best Crab Cakes … an ongoing search!
Coins Pub
Don’t let the exterior of Coins on 28th Street fool you … they have some seriously amazing food and the best crab cakes in my opinion! They’ve also renovated since our last visit so a redo is necessary to see if they still hold top rank!
Coastal Salt
Coastal Salt’s were pretty dang gone amazing, too, especially with a dash of Old Bay! And the fries. Good Lord. So good!
Crabcake Factory
We need to also go back to Crabcake Factory for the full experience since we ordered these as takeout in 2020. Still pretty freaking awesome, though, after being heated up!
Favorite Meal … please don’t discontinue these!
Vegetable Kabob at Macky’s
Oh. My. Gosh. This meal is INCREDIBLE! And they sell out fast so get to Macky’s early if you want to try them out. We also add some blackened grilled chicken!
Cheesesteak at Buxsy’s
Pictured are the cheesecake pierogies from Dry Dock 28 that are AMAZING but were not yet on the off-season menu at our last visit. Hopefully, they’ll bring them back but for now, try cheesesteak at the connecting Buxy’s. DIVINE!
Chicken or cheesesteak at Bad Monkey
The kicker is, I’m not a big cheesesteak gal and yet, two of them are topping my list, so that means they are GOOD! Ask for this on a wrap for some extra awesomeness!
Best Salads for when you’re craving healthy!
Quinoa at Micky Fins
Not only is Micky Fins a super cool place for lunch, dinner, or happy hour, this salad is AMAZING!! Please don’t take it off the menu!
Durango at Tequila Mockingbird
Skip the cheese and tortilla chips, switch the dressing to the mango vinaigrette, add blackened grilled chicken and the Durango Ensalada is a healthy winner. Maravilloso!
Summer Harvest at Taphouse
Taphouse definitely ranks up there as a great place for happy hour and dinner! I was happy to see this on their new menu and after adding some blackened chicken, it was a great meal!
Best Cocktails
Dirty Banana at Riptide’s
As you can tell from previous photos, I’m a Bud Light drinker who can’t handle liquor. BUT THIS DRINK!!! It’s so good and I can handle it!
Orange Crush at Harborside
Since Harborside is, according to their website, the home of the Orange Crush, how can I not include it? Oh, the fresh-squeezed yumminess of it all!
More drinks coming soon!
Best Ice Cream
Dairy Queen
Okay, this might be sacrilege, not going with my #2 first, but the soft serve from Dairy Queen, (26th Street,) is amazing!
Dumser’s Dairyland
A solid #2 is Dumser’s, which is an Ocean City tradition and often crowded because so! Try the banana split … is fantastic!
Rita’s Frozen Custard
Okay, the category is ice cream but Rita’s soft-serve frozen custard is AMAZING!!! They also offer free pup cups so your best friend can have a treat, too.
Favorite Free Activities
The Beach!
Of course the beach needs to be #1! OC’s beach has recently made Tripadvisor’s list of the nation’s Top 10 beaches and with ten miles of maintained sand, it deserves it!
The Boardwalk!
Also equally famous is the 2.5 mile OC Boardwalk that’s full of stores, arcades, restaurants, and quick service treats. Run, walk, or bike early in the morning, come back for lunch, and visit at night for three different experiences!
Biking around OC!
Be sure to bring your bike! Bob and I love exploring on ours, from Assateague to Delaware and everywhere in between! It’s a great way to burn some pre-happy hour calories plus see Ocean City from a new perspective!
For more free things to do, check out Ocean City’s website!
Favorite Activity with a Fee
Kayaking!
There’s nothing like a kayak ride on the bay … that’s what our dog, Aitch, aka #weineronthewater thinks! (And yes, she always wears a life jacket!) Here are the ten best kayak rental companies according to Yelp!
Distillery Tour at Seacrets
A lovely great way to spend an hour! With over a million dollars of antiques, a history lesson about prohibition, three complimentary shots in a recreated speakeasy, plus lively chat from the guide and special guest, this $15.00 is a must-do for us once a year!
Mini Golf
There’s never a shortage of a place to play mini-golf in Ocean City! Since I crave shade, our favorite is the indoor course at Old Pro on 68th Street. Remember to always check for coupons first!
Favorite Yearly Event
OC Air Show in June
Our favorite weekend of the year! This year’s event is June 19th – 20th, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other guests. We watch from the beach on Saturday followed by a pier party with our neighbors then we hit the boardwalk on Sunday to visit the booths! Practice on Friday is also fun with them flying right over our house!
Sunfest in October
Sunfest offers four days of arts and crafts, food and beer, kids’ activities, and musical entertainment! It’s held at the Inlet Lot at the south end of Ocean City’s famous Boardwalk. I’m missing this year’s on September 30 – October 3rd due to a Disney trip, but Bob will be there! Will he get pictures? Probably not, LOL!
Springfest in May
I was happy to hit up Springfest in May, however, the May version of Sunfest! We had a lovely time eating, drinking, and shopping with friends. Check out my recap!
Favorite Shop or Boutique
Ish Boutique at 36th
The kind of store where you just want to buy everything! I always pop in before heading to Barn 34 for happy hour to see what’s new!
Ragamuffin at 26th
Just the cutest store ever with lots of unique merchandise ranging from clothes and scarves to purses and jewelry!
Patty Jean’s Boutique
The kind of store where there’s SO MUCH cuteness that it’s almost overwhelming … at least for me!
Wow, that’s a lot of favorites, and I still have more to share as well as new things to discover! So come back for more or better yet … share your favorites in the comments!
Thanks for stopping by!
