Wow! What an experience. I planned a surprise bday weekend for my SO and took him to Ruse as our…read morefinal meal - it did not disappoint. Coming from someone who is not easily impressed by fine dining, my SO said it was the best meal he's ever had. We had the scallop crudo (chef's kiss), an array of oysters, the corn ribs and pea salad (both were unreal), and I went with the trout and he had the burger. The trout was amazing. So fresh and perfectly cooked but honestly the burger really stole the show. It was the perfect cheeseburger - like something I remember from my childhood but somehow better. It tastes like nostalgia. Overall, amazing spot with great vibes. Money, time, and calories well spent.

We had a terrific dinner at Ruse in St. Michaels. We had been staying at the hotel and enjoying…read morebreakfast there for a couple of days, but dinner was really the highlight. The seafood was excellent. We loved the oysters and the tuna sushi that you roll yourself--it was fun and delicious. The potato chips with Iberian ham and manchego were incredible and one of the most memorable bites of the night. Service was outstanding. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, and made the whole experience even better. The desserts were also fantastic. The labneh ice cream was completely out of this world, and the olive oil cake was excellent as well. A couple of small notes: the endive salad wasn't our favorite because it was covered in onions, which wasn't mentioned and unfortunately I really dislike onions. Also, the pork chop tasted amazing but we did notice toward the end that part of it was a bit undercooked. That said, overall the meal was excellent and we had a really great time. Definitely a memorable dining experience in St. Michaels.

We went to Saint Michael's for the day for some seafood. Unbeknownst to us, the crab season ended…read morethe day before our arrival. I moved to Maryland from Texas. I didn't know about "crab season." So, what's the next best thing? Mexican! my friend and I went to Gina's for Mexican food. We sat outside. The ambience is nice. There are games that you can play at your table. So we played scrabble, While we waited on our food. The food was tasty, but of course, it's not like my beloved, Tex-Mex! The drinks are pretty good too.

Delicious! We had the blue catfish and the mango tacos- and the drinks were good too! Played a…read morelittle scrabble while we waited

Visiting St Michael's for a few days. Plates 208 didn't disappoint. The food absolutely delicious!…read moreWe started with the Milk & Honey Flight. I would eat this everyday. The entrees were seasoned and cooked perfectly. We were also served fresh bakes warm focaccia with dipping oil. Just an amazing food experience. The service was excellent.

Service was so incredibly kind and helpful! Pictured is the Chef's Moroccan Harvest (rice, veggies,…read moregarbanzo beans) and while it was very fresh and tasty, there were very few garbanzo beans compared to the cost of the dish. But nevertheless, great experience. We also got the crab cakes and seafood tagine: both had amazing flavor and were cooked very well.

The food, service, and atmosphere were all outstanding. Traveling from Omaha, Nebraska, we've had…read morethe opportunity to dine at many great places, and this was by far the best restaurant we experienced in St. Michaels. If you're only going to choose one restaurant during your visit, make it this one. The patio is an excellent option, offering a relaxed and enjoyable setting that perfectly complements the dining experience. If you're lucky, you will get Jamie as your server. Highly recommended.

Service and food were both stellar! Jennifer called to ask if we would move inside due to impending…read moreweather. We ended up with an inside VIP table near the chef's table where we could see into the open kitchen. Our waiter was fabulous and had great suggestions. The fried green tomato appetizer with crab was delicious. I had the steak frites and my husband had the special branzino which happily did not contain a head and tail! Everyone was happy with their meals from apps to dessert.

We had another great Happy Hour at TFL last Friday. The Chardonnay I picked paired well with the…read moredelicious Brie in Flaky Pastry appetizer. And the Tenderloin Sliders are always a favorite. Sarah and Erin took good care of us, as usual. TFL is such a relaxing happy hour spot. We will be back this Friday and will be bringing friends. Donna C. Easton, Md

I was in St Michael's for a long weekend with some friends (in April - I am behind on my reviews)!…read more It was Friday late morning and we didn't realize that the winery down the street didn't open until noon s owe were looking to kill some time. The Fool's Lantern was newly open (like pretty brand new!) and we saw the self-serve wine machines which are always fun. The four of us came in and the staff was super welcoming and didn't bat an eye at us just wanting to get some wine and hang out (versus getting food also). Our friends had a couple issues with using their card in the machine so ended up sharing ours. But you can attribute that to opening kinks! We had checked out their food menu and it looked good, so we actually came back a second time that day for lunch. We got a few tapas to share and I got the curry chicken salad sandwich. Overall, everything was really good and the staff was very nice. I hope they are successful in St Michaels!

Enjoyed breakfast at Carpenters Street Saloon. Waitress was great, very friendly!…read more Food came out quickly and was hot. I had 1 pancake with bananas and chocolate chips and chipped beef gravy on top. A little unusual, but oh so good! Pancake was huge. Brought it back to our room and nibbled on it all night. Leaving today, but going to stop at C's on the way out for breakfast! Summer of 2026

After spending the afternoon wandering through the shops in St. Michaels on my first-ever visit to…read moretown, I found myself craving one thing for dinner. A really good burger. Actually...a really good burger with crab dip on it. Naturally, I started searching for somewhere that could satisfy both cravings at once and landed on Carpenter Street Saloon, a laid-back local watering hole that's been serving up food, drinks and good times in the heart of St. Michaels for decades. Their menu had both burgers and crab dip, but not together. Challenge accepted! I arrived around 4:30pm on a Friday during Fourth of July weekend and somehow managed to snag the very last parking spot in their small lot. Even better, as I walked inside, a booth just inside the front door opened up. The adventure gods were clearly looking out for me! The atmosphere was exactly what I was hoping for. Folks were gathered around the bar enjoying drinks, conversations filled the room and absolutely nobody cared that I had wandered in by myself for dinner. Sometimes that's exactly the kind of place you need after a long day of adventuring. I studied the menu for approximately three seconds before asking my waitress what I assumed would be a ridiculous question. "Could I get a burger...with crab dip on it?" Without missing a beat, she smiled and said, "Absolutely! We actually used to have that on the menu, but nobody ordered it." I couldn't stop grinning! "Well," I replied, "I'm somebody...and I want it for dinner tonight!" One more vacation victory! For $16.00, my custom Bay Burger arrived piled high with rich, creamy crab dip and melted cheese dripping over the thick burger patty exactly as I'd imagined it. It was everything I'd hoped it would be! Juicy burger. Creamy crab dip. Gooey cheese. The combination just...worked! In fact...it worked so well that I briefly considered ordering another one before remembering I still had dessert plans later that evening. (Responsible Adult Alexis eventually won that internal debate.) I chose the coleslaw as my side, and while the flavor was really good, it was a little drier than I personally prefer. That's entirely a preference thing, though. If you're someone who likes a less creamy coleslaw, this one will probably be right up your alley. My Diet Pepsi was $4.00, bringing my total to just $21.20 before tip. Honestly, for a custom burger loaded with crab dip in the middle of one of Maryland's busiest holiday weekends, I thought that was an excellent value. Carpenter Street Saloon isn't trying to be fancy. It's comfortable. It's welcoming. It's the kind of neighborhood bar where locals and visitors alike can settle in, enjoy a great meal and relax for a while. If you're visiting St. Michaels and find yourself craving a burger, do yourself a favor...ask them to bring back the crab dip burger. Apparently nobody orders it. Except me. And now hopefully you!

My wife and I stopped by during Chocolate Fest and had a really nice time. They were actually…read moresampling some chocolate drinks they were preparing for the festival, which was a fun touch and made the visit feel festive. The atmosphere was great and the drinks were excellent. They make a really good Bloody Mary, and overall the bar side of things was a highlight. For food, we split a sandwich, an appetizer, and a salad. The sandwich was very good, but the rest of the food was just okay. The Caesar salad didn't seem fully tossed, and the pretzel with crab felt like it may have been microwaved. It wasn't bad, just not on the same level as the drinks and atmosphere. Overall it was a nice stop and we enjoyed ourselves. We'd definitely go back for drinks and the atmosphere.

Very nice restaurants. Wanted to try one of their burgers but alas they had no beef patties…read more However my sandwich was very good and the homemade chips were amazing. Took one star off because we had difficulty getting seated.

I forgot to leave a review, but came here in August 2025 and still think about this smoothie. It…read morewas amazing and the best smoothie I've ever purchased. I can't remember if I got it with regular milk or a non-dairy milk but it was so good. Will have to come back and get it again.

Great cafe nestled in the beautiful town of St. Michael's. Boaters this is wonderful place to come…read moreashore to for a morning pastry and coffee. My straight black coffee was excellent! Come here and take your coffee with you to enjoy while you walk around town. I took the Beet Lemonade to-go to enjoy later on my voyage back across the Chesapeake Bay, and it turning to be delicious and refreshing. Service was great and you're greeted with a smile.