On a beautiful Saturday September morning, we made the trip to Boatyard Bar and Grill in Annapolis, Maryland for brunch. Dubbed as the “local sailing spot,” Boatyard is one of the best places to eat by the Chesapeake. It’s located on Restaurant Row in the historic maritime district of Eastport (just across the bridge from historic downtown Annapolis). Since its founding in 2001, the restaurant has grown into a place for people or all backgrounds to enjoy. Sailing professionals share a beer with a diesel engine mechanic. A yacht owner talks about “the one that got away” with the waterman. While we fit more into a category of “casual boat enthusiast,” we enjoy Boatyard’s eclectic and fun atmosphere and of course, the food; and apparently, we are not the only ones. The Boatyard was named by Coastal Living, Sailing World, and Sail Magazine as one of the top sailing/boating restaurants and bars.
While Boatyard opens at 10 a.m. on Saturdays, we arrived early to avoid the crowds. After parking, we walked along the historic Eastport Street and stood at the dock by one of the marinas, overlooking the Severn River. In the distance, you can actually see the Maryland Capital peeking out above all the buildings. Once we walked back to Boatyard, the hostess immediately seated us outside underneath the tent. Normally, we prefer to sit inside. If you ever go, you’ll see why. The walls are covered with pictures of local sailors and some familiar celebrities too (Jimmy Buffett and Kevin Bacon visited -among many others) and souvenirs from all over the world. It takes more than a few visits to take it all in. However, this time, we took advantage of the low humidity and breezy morning.
While famously known for their crab cakes, Boatyard’s Brunch did not disappoint. We ordered coffee and water, admiring the fruity Crushes at the table next to us (no judgment- it’s 5 o’clock somewhere). As a true Marylander knows, you can have crab at any time of the day and put it in literally ANYTHING. So I ordered “The Annapolitan,” which included three eggs with lump crab, chopped tomatoes, scallions, and Mornay sauce. Boatyard mastered the crab to egg ratio and the Old Bay spiced potatoes complemented the meal perfectly. My partner-in-eating (and life) enjoyed the “Thank God I’m a Country Boy Breakfast,” which included two eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, grits, ranch potatoes, and wheat toast. Suffice to say, we will be back, with hopes to one day get our picture of the wall!