I really like this place. It's like a small home town bar and restaurant with sensational views, and really friendly staff. Decent food and good specials. Wish their boat docks had a little deeper water . We can only arrive by boat at mid tide or higher. Worth checking it out. read more

Kind of wish they would sell this place, and someone buy it that would make it a better restaurant.

I used to enjoy coming to this quaint spot with my family. Recently they have restructured their menu and pricing. The menu has no pricing information on it for drinks and it wasn't until we received our bill that we discovered they now charge approximately $3 for every refill of fountain drinks. This is nickel and diming plain and simple and I will not be returning to an establishment with such underhanded business practices. read more

A diamond in the rough. Very impressed with the prompt service, delicious crab cake, crab soup and ambiance. Outdoor seating on the water. What a view! How relaxing! read more

I always like writing reviews on small neighborhood places like this one. We ventured down to Essex during Baltimore County restaurant week in January '12, to check this place out. Unless someone tells you about this place you'll never find it. Its tucked away back in on a small Essex peninsula on the bay. I will like to highlight that we were there in the middle of winter at night. It was clear to me that this place is set up to be a summer time, sit on the deck and enjoy the view of the water while you eat type of place. I also believe they serve breakfast and an expanded menu during Summer months. Even so, we still enjoyed the intimate dining room with a warm fire place. When you first walk in it is evident that this is a neighborhood family restaurant. We were immediately greeted and seated in a clean dining room. The dining room is not very big but there is a nice bar with a few flat screen TVs. This would be a nice place to go watch the game. The casual atmosphere is exactly what you would expect. The food was great. I had the crab cake and my wife had the salmon. Both were prepared well. For restaurant week special we were able to get a salad, main course with sides, and desert for $20 a person. Everything came out fast and hot and tasted great. I had no complaints at all. We plan to return, especially in the summer to enjoy sitting outside near the water. Ill update my review after that, till then go down to the Island View and give them your business. You wont be sorry. read more

A good place out of the way with a nice soothing view. The food is good as I had cream of crab and a crabcake. The soup had nice lumps of crabmeat and the crabcake was served on a nicely toasted bun with fresh cut fries and slaw. The only problem is the staff and kitchen apparently run on island time, which for me today meant waiting almost 30 minutes from the time the order was placed to the time the cup of soup was served. Likewise to get the check was another 30 minutes. If your not in a hurry or starved looking for fast service, this place is great. read more

Yikes - total disaster. Mussels sauce tasted like they dumped a bottle of white wine in to make the sauce. There was a whole black potato in my mashed potatoes. Green beans were flavorless. Crab cake & chocolate cake were redeeming factors. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable if it wasn't raining, but even a nice view can't make the food better. read more

I really wanted to like this place, and I did, to a point . . . the view is beautiful, but that is where it ends. The food is second-rate, at best. We had old-bay chicken wings, which were so over-seasoned to be nearly inedible - and I like old-bay. The salad was wilted and the salmon was tasteless (perhaps because my taste-buds were fried by the old-bay). The service was prompt, but the server seemed in a hurry, never staying around long enough to completely take our order - and the restaurant was mostly empty. This place has so much potential and really only needs stronger management and a better kitchen to be excellent. read more

The wife and I decided to have dinner here on a Saturday evening. The place looks great and the view is very nice. I had a cup of their cream of crab soup, and it was delicious. I couldn't believe all the jumbo lumps of crab in the soup. My. Wife got the crabcake and shrimp. I tasted the crabcake and it was excellent. It actually tasted like the ones I make. They put more mustard than most in their crabcakes, and that's how I love them. I tried one of their burgers. It was cooked just how I wanted it and had lots of jalapeños on top of it. Our server was Emily and she was very attentive. Overall we really enjoyed dinner there. If I had to complain about one thing, it would be their ketchup. It was quite bitter. I'm not sure if it was their attempt at homemade or just a really awful brand. We will definitely return. read more

A friend got me a kayaking groupon, or else I probably wouldn't have tried this place. I did enjoy it overall. The guy who helped with the kayaks was very nice, although some instruction and information could have been helpful for a first-timer! I was glad we were able to have our pick of a single or dual kayak! We stayed for lunch, the service was a little slow, but I have to say that the thing that bothered me the most was that they had ZERO vegetarian options (besides sides). If they expanded their menu, this place would be great. read more

We came here to have lunch and kayak. The pros: really cool set up, very fun, casual, on the water location. Excellent soup, very friendly staff. Although we didn't have anything to drink, the signature crush drinks looked bang-bang. The cons: service was slow ever tho there were 4 servers and 10 tables filled. Our entrees were just okay: I had a po boy with literally just crab and a piece of lettuce. My boyfriends fish tacos was just tuna steak with Cole slaw on them hmm... Seems like it'd be really simple to spice up their entrees. read more

Worst experience. Waited 20 min for a server who never showed. Three tables served after we were seated. Asked for manager and was told can't find him. Don't waste your time, gas or money. If I could give them a negative star I would. read more

Wonderful view of the water, good food too. First trip I sat at the bar & had a burger, chatted w/ some nice folks while watching the O's game. Returned a couple months later for a full dinner, everything was very good. Try the half & half crab soup - great combo! read more

When there this evening with a group of 16 for dinner. First i wanted the chicken and biscuits (fond memories of when i was a child and my mother made this from scratch every sun), the waitress comes out and says they are out of chicken and biscuits, sad. I then choose their Meatloaf with mashed potato and applesauce. After an extremely long wait (at least it felt like a long wait), our food comes out. I was expecting a nice size slice of meatloaf, what i got looked like a meatball, and it was so dry and had a crunchy outside (like it was overcooked). Normally i would just tolerate bad food, not wanting to cause i scene, but after that long wait and Russell trying it and agreeing (he is after all a Master Chef, so I value his food opinions), I decided to send it back. The waitress was good and offered me something else, but by the time something else came out the rest of the group would be done theirs (and who likes eating alone). She then offered me some soup, I got the cream of crab in a bowl. I was not charged for the meatloaf or the soup, so not a total loss, but i would have perferred an actual meal like the meatloaf as opposed to a bowl of soup. Anyway, this is my first review ever, hope i did not overdue it the details Bob T read more

Beautiful views and a great place to either boat to across from Hart Miller Island or just drive there after. The crabs were full and fresh! We had the shrimp and crab pretzel as well, both was great. Nice atmosphere and great staff. read more

Wow, I can't believe this place has been around for decades and I'm just now giving it a try! First off, the atmosphere inside and out it fantastic. My family ate out on the deck and it was quiet with a bit of soft music in the background. Beautiful panoramic views of the water, great, attentive service and reasonable prices. Now, on to the food! My mom ordered the Pot Roast French dip and could not stop raving about it. She says it tasted like an authentic slow cooked pot roast and the au jus was not from a bouillon cube but real drippings from the meat. I got the Chessie's Grilled Cheese and was very happy with it, plenty of each ingredient. My dad was also pleased with his fresh, lightly fried catfish. I honestly can't wait to come back with my husband and friends, I definitely have a new favorite water front restaurant. read more

There is a new-old place out there, as Columbus did explore the world because he thought about it. We are not alone; we are not the only creatures living and breathing near the Metro DC. This part of Maryland is at the tip of Essex and quiet but something to discover. The restaurant serves delicious food. Perfect time to get those big food after kayak around the Chesapeake Bay. A little cold and windy, we still enjoyed our little water adventure. I'm glad I did not pass this by. I learned more about the side of the county. read more

Our first time visiting the Cafe. We went there for a group dinner to celebrate my father-in-laws 92nd birthday. It was a slow Thursday evening so we had our choice of outdoor seating. What a great location with beautiful water views. The food was excellent! My father-in-law said it was the best cream of crab soup he has ever had! So, for 92 that's a lot of tastings of cream of crab soup! Other food was delicious as well. The crab cake was so tasty that I didn't have to smother it with mustard. Our server Sierra was very pleasant, attentive and friendly. We brought a birthday cake which Sierra kept safely out of sight until it was time to serve. Enjoyable background music. A true local gem. Will definitely go again! read more

Great night & groupon. Had two hour kayak and dinner for two with an appetizer and wine. The kayaking was perfect. The meal was very good, only selected from a prefix menu but lots of options and very good. Staff was VERY friendly and had homey feel to it. I would go back with friends or for date night. read more

We learned about this restaurant from a commercial they aired during the O's game and decided to give it a try. The nice thing is that they have about four or five vegetarian options (a lot of places today, you're lucky if you get one). However, our first time there, our waitress took FOREVER to find us. We waited and waited and waited before she made herself known. They were out of pot roast that night. (I only mention this because someone else mentioned in their review that they were out of salmon and shrimp - we had no plans to get pot roast so it didn't affect us, just be aware is all.) I ordered the vegetarian black bean burger. What I got was the vegetarian patty (apparently they have both, though the menu only lists the black bean burger). Normally I'm fine with it as long as it's vegetarian, but this vegetarian patty was so bland and boring and when I was done, I was still starving. I mentioned to our waitress that it wasn't the black bean burger, and they offered to make me a new one, or take it off the menu. I declined both (I hate wasting food). The manager / owner saw us on the way out and promised me that if we came back, I would get the black bean burger on the house. We went back the next week. I told our waitress that I wanted the black bean burger, NOT the veggie patty. She said the veggie hamburger is the veggie patty. I told her, no, there is a veggie patty and a black bean patty. She seemed confused by this and had to go check to find out I was right. I explained the situation from last time and though I felt like an idiot, I told her the manager told me to come back and the black bean burger would be on the house. She seemed unsure about this. I really didn't expect it to be taken off; however the manager showed up while we were eating and immediately recognized us and told the waitress to take mine off the check. The black bean burger was really very good. My husband has tried two different things now and enjoyed both. I'm sure we will be going back because the food appears good enough to overcome the shaky service. But I would recommend, if you are getting the black bean burger that you stress you want that and not the veggie patty. Oh, and extra points for the view. Surely no one can ever get tired of a view like this one and you get to miss the mess and horrible traffic and parking from going downtown. read more

Decent food! I ordered the cod fish app and a coconut crush. Both were good. The ambiance is nice on the deck and the servers were friendly. I would go again and maybe rent a kayak after dinner. read more

Great view and awesome employees!! Food great. Local owners, homemade food owners making the food

Respectable food , the Maryland Crab soup was some of the best I have anywhere but the Rockfish entree was rather bland . Would of given 4 stars but had to wait over 20 minutes for the check , thought the waitress had left and just forgot about us .Overall a good experience. read more

Found this place through Yelp so I wanted to be sure to leave a review. Great location, staff was friendly and fun. Food was very good. Our table had a variety of items including the steamed shrimp, crab pretzel, island bowl, pot roast, scallops, chicken and fried shrimp. Everyone was happy. Looking forward to coming back. read more

Went here on Mother's Day with a large group, but called and had a reservation. When we arrived, no one really greeted us for a while, and when they did, we told them our name, and the employee just kind of walked away... Ok, weird, but whatever. Another employee finally seated us after a bit, and after taking our name again. This place has a really, really beautiful view, but we weren't seated anywhere near the windows. Our waitress was polite and nice, but the service was really bad. It took a very long time for everything, and she disappeared quite a bit - it was busy because of the holiday, but not as busy as you'd expect with that sort of service. When the food finally came, it was very disappointing. The steaks were at least half fat, the soft crabs were not cooked right, the green beans were cold, they were even out of bread! The prices were absolutely way too high for the awful food and bad service, we could have gotten a much better meal elsewhere for the same amount or less. We had really had our hopes up for this place - it really is in a beautiful spot - but we won't be returning. read more

Great find! Worth the trip. Stopped by after kayaking. Great sunset, no waiting even on a Saturday night. Impressive view. Varied menu. Dress is whatever. Had one of the best burgers ever. Super friendly staff. The only problem were late night "skeeters ", but not too bad for being on the water. I will definitely return. read more

We used a deal found on groupon for 2 hour kayaking and dinner for 2. We did this as a fun date for our anniversary. I never went kayaking before, and it was so much fun! we were set up with just what we needed, and they pointed out some places to go see. the weather was lovely and it was a perfect thing to do. dinner was fabulous, and the service was very attentive. The seafood was excellent. Crab cakes were a little heavy handed with mustard but all in all a great experience. Highly recommended! We plan to go back. read more

Wonderful family owned place all the way around! Great for breakfast on the weekends, lunch or dinner anytime. Food and service are consistently excellent at a very reasonable price! Lastly you cannot beat the view of the Chesapeake Bay. read more

Delicious soup! We got the cream of crab and the mixed soup, and they both were great. The crab cake and fried shrimp were both very tasty. Also, very good service. read more

I love this place! Pricey, so I don't go often, but their crab pretzels have been the best I have had so far. The salmon was delicious! Very friendly staff. read more

Great food! Beautiful view and atmosphere. A hidden gem. Nice for a casual date night.

Went Kayaking here, it was a great time. After we stopped in for lunch. Amazing food, the cheesesteak was incredible. Good portion size. Only issue LONG wait for food to come. read more

Great scenery, extremely slow with service ~ app took close to 30 minutes ~ an elderly woman asked a bartender where their food was, and she was quickly shushed away, telling her, I'm sure it'll be out soon ... My girlfriend and I split the island view bowl, 1/2 pound shrimp, half dozen clams, and a dozen mussels. The bartender stated how fresh everything was, and apologized for the wait. Overall it was pretty good ~ served with 2 rolls, but really not enough juices (white wine and garlic) ~ cocktail sauce was delicious, lots of horseradish! read more

I really love this place, 1st time there , the service was excellent, the food was really good, the atmosphere was nice, I liked that it was quiet, loved the oldies music and the view of the bay was really nice, the crab pretzel, and cream of crab soup was awesome, will be back again read more

We love a good waterfront bar so we were excited to check this place out! We were bummed out with the food! I ordered Chessie's grilled cheese, which was described as being made with gouda, bacon, and crab dip on bread. I imagined a gooey grilled cheese, what I got was a crab dip sandwich. The cheese was a big slab on top of the dip and bacon and it was on ciabatta NOT melted together at all. Not even close to a grilled cheese. It tasted okay but I had to eat it in pieces with a knife and fork. The hubs ordered his favorite....soft crab sandwich. It was disappointing. The entire thing fit on 2 thin pieces of white toast without anything hanging over. It was tiny. We both upgraded to fries so his $17 and mine was $16. For what we spent we were very disappointed. He's going to need to eat again in an hour. All that said, nice server and pretty views of the water, but not sure we'll be back. read more

Found the restaurant to very serene in setting ,at the waters edge. The food was very good, and the service was excellent. We are visiting from Arkansas and hope to retunrn for another meal before we leave the area. read more

This place is always top on my list. Food is good, service is awesome, view is spectacular. Brian you need an osprey cam!

Where do I begin, I had 6 o'clock reservation with a party of 6 and got seated immediately, but that was the only good thing that happened. We ordered drinks and an appetizer. The drinks came out in about 15 minutes, but the appetizer took almost an hour. A woman that appeared to be the owner came out to light a fire in the fire pit. I guess that was more important than making sure her customers were taken care of. she should have been lighting a fire under the kitchen staff that was obviously inexperienced and overwhelmed. We let her know we were not happy and she was never to be seen again. We ordered a second round of drinks and they were out of the alcohol to make the drinks, so we settled for something else. At that time we ordered our entrees and after waiting until almost 7:15 they gave us some complimentary drinks to try and ease the frustration we were experiencing. About 20 minutes later we were told the entrees were ready with the exception of the grouper tacos. At that point we had enough and left and the manager didn't seem to care. If you're going to be that understaffed and unable to deliver meals within a reasonable time, maybe you should stop advertising, and you might want to try doing something else. The restaurant business might not be for you. We went to Laid back Lenny's and had a delicious meal within 25 mins. We will never go back to island view again!! read more

Not a fan... Seated outside... Took forever to get our food... Everyone else outside had come after us, ordered after us, gotten their food before us... It took over an hour and a half to get our good... There was only five of us... Not impressed at all.... read more

This is an idyllic setting. My wife and I sat outside on the deck and took in the sunset. I could have easily rated this as five stars, but they were out of food. I ordered a pesto salmon, but they were out of salmon. My wife ordered crab cake and shrimp, but they were out of shrimp. read more