Maryland Official Visitors Guide - 2026 Maryland Official Visitors Guide
Food and Drink
2025-11-04 04:32:40
Taste Maryland Specialties
Soul-Comforting Food
Across the state, restaurant owners honor their heritage by blending traditional family recipes with fresh, local ingredients and modern twists. Savor down-home cooking Maryland style in soul food, Caribbean fare, barbecue and more.
In Waldorf, Lefty’s Barbecue Unlimited is a go-to for comfort food. This beloved, family-run spot serves up homestyle recipes with local roots, from tender signature ribs rubbed in a special spice blend to hearty sides like sweet-potato soufflé and chicken-seasoned green beans.
Northeast of Baltimore in Parkville you’ll find Southern Blues, a culinary haven that has delighted diners for more than 25 years. Enjoy the menu of soul-food staples with contemporary flair, including blackened catfish, smothered fried pork chops and earthy collard greens. Save room for dessert — you won’t want to miss peach cobbler, coconut cake, banana pudding and other sweets.
An array of palates and preferences can dig in at Motherland Kitchen, a restaurant in Frederick that prioritizes sourcing local produce from trusted farms. The authentic recipes have been passed down through generations, resulting in mouthwatering Afro-Caribbean dishes with Southern soul-food influences. It’s also a favorite among vegans for its bold, plant-based plates like cabbage and pumpkin-seed stew or jollof rice.
In North East, Forge Southern Comfort puts an innovative and refined spin on classics like shrimp and grits with charred corn, chicken and waffles, and house-smoked brisket. Its farm-to-table approach also supports local agriculture, with most products coming from area farms and businesses.
Equally popular for dine-in, carryout or catering, Soul Sista’s Restaurant & Lounge in Salisbury brings unforgettable tastes to the table with the likes of spicy oxtail stew, sweet yams, and chicken and dumplings, all seasoned with lots of love. Fresh ingredients and Southern traditions served in a homey atmosphere warm the soul with every bite.
HOW TO PICK A CRAB
1 FLIP IT
The key to every crab is on its belly. Starting at the top, pull off the thin strip of shell in the middle. On males, it looks like the Washington Monument, on females, more like the Capitol dome. Once you remove it, you can pop the top shell off the body.
2 CLEAN IT
Crabs are steamed whole to enhance their flavor, but some bits aren’t good eating. With a finger, clear out the spongy gills on the sides, plus the other inedible parts from the center, leaving clean, white meat.
3 SPLIT IT
With your thumbs on each side of the abdomen, break the crab in half and scoop the meat from the body. Some people love the yellow “crab mustard” in the middle, but for your first time, you might want to remove that, too.
4 SNAP IT
Snap off the legs. If you get it right, each will come out with a bit of delicious meat at the end. The last leg is called the backfin and is home to “the jumbo lump,” also known as the best meat in any Maryland blue crab. You may want to save that part for last.
5 CRACK IT
Grab your mallet and crack the claw on the bottom, just behind the pincers and in the middle of the first joint. Then, snap them each in half. There’s good meat in those, and the claws are where most Maryland kids get their first taste of crab.
6 DO IT ALL AGAIN
There are two particularly great things about a Maryland crab feast. One, it’s the only eating you get to do with a hammer, and two, you never eat just one.
Catch of the Day
With its rich Chesapeake Bay heritage, prominent waterways and rivers, and close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, it’s no wonder Maryland offers some of the best seafood experiences around. Whether you’re craving a classic crab feast, seeking the freshest catch or want to slurp oysters, these beloved spots — many of which are on the Maryland Crab & Oyster Trail — are must-visits. Just remember: These delicacies are seasonal, with crab season running from April to mid-December and oysters peaking October to late March, so don’t miss out.
Look for the True Blue symbol at establishments to be sure you’re enjoying tender, authentic Maryland crab meat.
On the Eastern Shore, Chester River Seafood in Rock Hall is a no-frills market that sells live and steamed crabs by the dozen, half bushel or bushel. Pick some up along with dips, desserts and other items for an unbeatable takeaway spread.
Right on the waterfront of the Magothy River, The Point Crab House & Grill in Arnold delivers a picture-perfect setting for a meal of cooked-to-order Chesapeake Bay crabs, two kinds of crab soup or crab cakes.
Cumberland’s Crabby Pig is a locally owned and loved hot spot dishing up fresh blue crabs, fried oysters and steamed clams alongside hand-pulled barbecued pork and tender ribs — the perfect opportunity for a quintessentially Maryland version of surf and turf.
Annapolis is home to Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn, a long-standing institution among locals and visitors. This restaurant on Mill Creek is known for its hard-shell crab and sustainable sourcing practices, with watermen pulling right up to the dock to unload their catches in season.
The menu at Ketch 22 in North Beach celebrates the state’s coastal bounty through farm-fresh ingredients and a focus on Chesapeake Bay sourcing. This family-run treasure serves up tasty dishes like baked lump crab dip, hand-battered rockfish bites, fresh salads and crab soup.
Sustainable Wining and Dining
In Maryland, dining sustainably means savoring the cuisine while supporting eco-friendly practices that protect the state’s natural resources, especially the treasured Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. From the mountains to the shore, these restaurants are leading the way with local-ingredient use, waste reduction, community partnerships and more.
Baltimore’s True Chesapeake features oysters from its own sustainable farm and participates in the Oyster Recovery Partnership by recycling shells. Don’t miss the tasty blue-catfish sandwich or the rotating seasonal cocktails.
In Severna Park, Garten offers a locally sourced experience, including ingredients grown in the on-site garden with an assist from its pollinator beehive. Fresh veggies and local partners’ products make their marks on the European-inspired menu.
Buying local is ingrained in The Front Porch’s philosophy, whether it’s fresh produce from nearby farms or seasonal seafood from area watermen. Its charming location in downtown Leonardtown is a perfect match for Southern Maryland’s coastal cuisine.
Sugar Water in Princess Anne blends cozy hospitality with a strong farm- and water-to-table ethos, using the bounty of its sister farm for its menu. Located inside a bed and breakfast, you can even stay overnight after your meal.
Princess Restaurant, a friendly spot in Frostburg, reinvents diner classics like meatloaf and sandwiches using fresh ingredients, while combining traditional recipes with an innovative culinary touch.
Patapsco River breezes pair perfectly with upscale dining at the circa 1744 Elkridge Furnace Inn. The Elkridge restaurant serves creative garden-to-table fare, like wild-game meatballs with spring-herb mashed potatoes and stinging-nettle gimlets.
Awarded the Annapolis Environmental Stewardship Certification, Boatyard Bar & Grill spotlights local seafood like oysters, crab cakes and smokedfish dip made with Chesapeake channa and blue catfish. It’s also big on recycling, from glass and paper to shells and frying oil.
Sips: Beer, Wine and Spirits
From scenic wineries to small-town breweries and cutting-edge distilleries, Maryland offers a vibrant landscape for sipping craft beverages. There’s also a common thread of incorporating local ingredients, sustainability and eco-friendly practices to produce these beers, wines and spirits across the state.
In Mechanicsville, Xella Winery and Vineyard is a hidden gem for wine lovers. This small family operation uses biodynamic and regenerative farming practices to grow grapes, as well as minimal interventions in the wine-making process. It’s also conveniently located near charming bed and breakfasts and inns, making it easy to turn your visit into a full-fledged retreat.
For beer enthusiasts, Waredaca Brewing Company in Laytonsville grows hops as organically as possible and uses fruit trees planted on-site to flavor inventive brews like their cherry or plum foeder-aged sour. Enjoy something to eat off the menu of house-made items and local grab-and-go snacks or food-truck fare on certain days.
Located near Middletown, Orchid Cellar Meadery and Winery offers a different kind of experience — mead, the world’s oldest fermented beverage. Blending honey, fruit and spice, its artisanal creations range from dry and sweet to fruity and rustic. Sip on a tasting flight while taking in the mountain views and listening to the buzzing honeybees.
Patriot Acres Farm Brewery is a fourth-generation, veteran-owned-and-operated establishment in Sudlersville that raises alpacas, chickens, goats and more while growing hops and other ingredients for its craft beers. The rotating offerings appeal to different tastes and reflect the farm’s bounty. Savor a freshly brewed beer or cider while playing a game of cornhole and visiting the animals.
A lively brewpub in Riverdale Park, Denizens Brewing Co. creates its wide variety of beers on-premise, from a core lineup of IPAs, pilsners and tripels to rotating seasonal beers like a summertime tart peach ale or an English-style oatmeal stout in the fall and winter. In addition to carrying Maryland products whenever possible, it also donates its spent grains to the state’s farmers for reuse.
As a “ground-to-glass” operation, Tobacco Barn Distillery in Hollywood grows all of its own corn; sources other grains from local farmers and suppliers; and uses solar, geothermal and heat-recovery systems to produce single-barrel bourbon. Try it at the tasting room along with other products like a honey-flavored rum and cinnamon whiskey.
Maryland’s first certified organic distillery, McClintock Distilling in Frederick uses pesticide-free heirloom grains and locally sourced ingredients, repurposes its byproducts and employs a closed-loop cooling system to reduce its water consumption. Take a tour to learn about the awardwinning varieties of gin, whiskey, vodka, cordials and liqueurs, then taste them afterward.
In Kennedyville, Crow Vineyard & Winery is a working farm that grows grapes as well as corn and soy and raises a herd of cattle. In addition to wine tastings and farm tours, visitors can attend dining events, educational seminars and even book the Farmstay B&B in a renovated 1847 farmhouse for an immersive getaway.
Tucked away in historical Sykesville, Patapsco Distilling Company prides itself on crafting spirits from Maryland-grown grains. From vodka, gin and rye whiskey to limoncello and limited editions of seasonal creations like nocino made from local black walnuts, each batch is distilled in-house. Stop by the bar to try them in cocktails that showcase their flavor and versatility.
In 2025, Maryland lawmakers made the Orange Crush the state’s official cocktail. The blend of fresh orange juice, orange liqueur, orange vodka and lemon-lime soda is served over crushed ice, making for a refreshing libation that’s especially popular in the summer.
Learn more about Maryland’s culinary highlights.
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