When I heard about the Middleton Tavern being the oldest bar (established 1750) establishment around, I had to visit for myself. And what a cool place it is. The Tavern was frequented by members of the Continental Congress meeting in the State House on such historic occasions as the resignation of General Washington's commission, December 23, 1783, the ratification of the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War in January 1784, and the Annapolis Convention which laid the groundwork for the Federal Constitution Convention held the following year in Philadelphia. It was a dreary damp afternoon and only had a few hours, but if I missed this, I would never forgive myself. I wasn't there to eat, just to enjoy an ice cold beer, just as history would have been back in the day. I bellied up to the bar, with only a bartender to greet me. And since I was here for my first time, I had to try a Middleton Oyster Ale. What a delicious ice cold draft beer. I really enjoyed it. After a few pictures of the place and a visit upstairs to see what was up there, I exited to the streets and walked around a little while longer before leaving with a great big grin on my face. Be sure to stop in and let them know I sent you. read more

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Went to the Middletown tavern to have a nice dinner before fireworks last night, which didn't work out to be. The hostess at the tavern was the most rude hostess I have ever encounter. She point blank said there was no tables available and told us there was a a 30 minute wait and didn't even write down any info about our inquiring for a table. She had a very disrespectful attitude and should be formally trained on how to be a hostess at a restaurant when it comes to talking to potential customers. I only reason I gave one star is because I had no choice to be able to post this comment. read more

We loved this place! Maddie L, took great care of us! The oyster shooters were yummy!! As were the oysters on the half shell. Delicious seafood tower and mussels. Good beer and wine and atmosphere. Check it out; it's worth your time. And it was reasonable (that was a surprise). read more

My son and his family joined me yesterday for lunch at Middleton Tavern. The food was excellent and our server Kathryn was efficient and very friendly. We will definitely be back and hope to have Kathryn wait on us again. Ray Gordon Bel Air, Md. read more

Ambiance only thing available was sports bar where we were informed could order pizza and tostie out of lunch hours on phone. Got to pub not packed had few people in there. got to the bar and told him we had call and we knew was out of lunch time. Said no pizza tostie only premade and ham and cheese only. not what we were told 30min prior on phone. Places order for tosite and got rushed to paid on the spot not mention of drinks . We asked if could order drinks so had a second transaction with misable blunt and rude (older bar staff) he was not busy and two other there at the bar helping. With the attuide we collected drinks placed them on the bare area table and walked out to find better service. Highly recommend Goolwa saltwater cafe. Great food service thaks for saving the day. Had a fulltime carer with first outing away from person she was caring for in over twelve months. (there was a carer with her) was a chance at restbite. read more

Very Disappointed. My family and I have been loyal patrons of Middletons, celebrating Christmas Eve which is also my birthday there for the past seven years. We always make our reservations at Thanksgiving, ensuring we secure the table in front of the fireplace for our party of six. This year, I placed a reservation as always and confirmed this same reservation on Monday the 23rd. I was told, "We have your reservation." When we arrived on time, we found that our reservation would not be honored, that a larger party (including the owner of Twains) arrived just before we did, and that our table had been given away to what we could only assume a more profitable party. When questioning this action, we were told we could wait an hour and a half for the reserved table and then offered a table in the hallway by the hostess stand, where the servers gather to talk much too loud, as our only option. I didn't find this a fair way to be treated for loyal patronage and asked to see the manager. When the manager arrived, I was treated with an indifferent and unprofessional attitude: of basically "It sux to be you." I hope that you will take this feedback seriously and consider implementing measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Remember, next time, choose McGarvey's or O'Brian's for good food, service, and adult service staff that values the customer. read more

I can't review the food or ambiance because the service at the door was horrible. We were asked where we wanted to sit, at a table close to the entrance, or at a table in a corner of the porch. We chose the corner table. As we were waiting for the greeter to escort us, a waiter came up and B took over. As we walked toward the corner, he stopped us at the table I did NOT choose and said "This is good". I said we had chosen the corner table. He said it wasn't available, and this table is good. I stated, "It's good for you but not for me." Without any explanation or reasoning he just walked away. And so did we. read more

Location location location. This is a good bar in a great location. We had catered food for an event, which was good--but I don't know anything about the menu. The service was all it needed to be. read more

My party was seated immediately, I got a Bloody Mary and a chicken Caesar wrap with chips. Beautiful view fast service and food was good.

The people are great along with the service, mussels and crab cakes! The happy hour menu is worth trying! read more

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First trip to Annapolis in December we found this place. We are here everyday we were here. The place is full of history. It has a great happy hour. The food is good, the place is clean, and the staff is friendly. Just came back to Annapolis and we have already been here twice. I've had the oyster shooters, crab tater tots, and steamed mussels. My son has had the old bay wings and the buffalo wings. Everything has been delicious. We will be back again before we leave. If you are in the area you must stop here! read more

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A nice boat ride to Annapolis last weekend and my friend's family said we had to go here. First order of business: oyster shooters. I'm weird about seafood and so when I heard about these it sounded kinda gross... however, they were so good! It's an oyster with cocktail sauce and you shoot it back with a little beer chaser. They're only $2.50 each so you can easily order a bunch. We also tried to crab balls which were hella yummy. A really cool thing about Middleton Tavern is that our 1st president, Mr. George Washington, used to go here. How freaking awesome is that?! read more

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A big thanks to Mike and Omar for making our Christmas party a success. Admittedly this place is a bit rough but then again it's a pub and older than the United States proper! In previous lives it's been a boarding house and rented rooms "hourly" if you get the picture. Don't come looking for a Williamsburg setting but hospitality flows, the legal kind. The oysters Rockefeller were very nice and the crab cakes well seasoned and a properly lumpy. A nice choice of beverages and even Heineken 0.0 for those keeping things sane over the holidays. Raw bar is excellent! read more

Boy, I hate to give a low or poor review to what I'm told is an historic restaurant in Annapolis, but this place was far less than one should expect from such an established...establishment. The food was okay...I guess, but I'd starve before going back for more. The people were friendly, but perhaps that's because they felt bad for our obvious poor judgement. The prices were far more than we expected, and in fact, when we received our bill, we asked the waiter if a mistake had been made. Both my wife and I ordered "crab cake sandwiches," and neither of us expected the $26 per sandwich that we were charged. We both thought we saw a much lower price on the menu, and "market price" was not marked on the menu. Our waiter looked at me like I was crazy when I raised the issue, and as nice a guy as he seemed to be, said "this stuff is as good as gold right now!" I guess meaning that crab was expensive. But confusion could have been avoided with a "market value" price on the menu (which would have prompted the question..."what's market price today?" We paid our bill without much fanfare and even gave the waiter a hefty tip, largely because the party that left soon after we arrived was giving our waiter...and a few others, some beef about something and so they left in a huff. I think I might now know why. Anyway, there are plenty of other restaurants in Annapolis to experience and I'd encourage you to try any one EXCEPT this one! read more

Jay waiter, he was iight. My corned beef sandwich was mediocre. The oysters really didn't look appetizing and the vibe was giviing...we kinda dont like your people here smh. The bathroom is up like 3 flights of stairs and it's December and the heat wasn't on. My OYSTER SHOOTER was probably my best part!! read more

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Went in to check out a historical tavern in Annapolis. I tried coming here before but the waiter took too long to seat us. Despite this, I gave it another chance and thankfully, the service was much better. I ordered a crab salad sandwhich and a small cesar salad (to my delight, it was pretty big!). Tasted fresh and good, however the place is very expensive for what I got; it costed me somewhere in the ballpark of $22, which is the average price of the food on the menu as most of the items cost between $20-$40. I personally feel that it's too costly, especially when you're going out for drinks as well. All in all, food is good and the service was alright. They probably were busy that first day and I understand that. However, I feel like it's a bit too expensive compared to other bars and taverns around the area. read more

Middleton Tavern - Crab Salad Sandwhich - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Spent the day at the holiday market at the docks with old friends. We decided to have lunch at the Middleton Tavern. It was very busy and the waiter let us know the service would be slow. We ordered a dozen oysters which were fresh and good. I ordered fried green tomatoes it may have been one of the worst things I've ever been served. The breading was dark brown with the taste of old Grease. I still never figured out what they were topped with. Ugh. My husband had an orange crush that was watered down and tasteless. I had pasta Primavera and it was swimming in grease. My hubs had an undercooked crab cake. My friend had fish and chips and again the Grease tasted old. We were seated upstairs near the fireplace and I looked up at the vent and it was encircled with black dust so thick it was actually dripping down. My husband so a live cockroach in the bathroom. The whole place was dirty and could use a scrubbing. We paid $184 for four and felt truly ripped off. read more

We sampled the French Dip, a salad, and a kids hot dog from the kids menu. We were readily seated with the lunch crowd. There was a pleasant hustle and bustle, the clink of plates, and a low hum of conversation. Food was excellent and service was pleasant and fast. The cool dining room was a welcome respite from the heat. Outdoor dining was also available. I would definitely visit again. read more

It's a shame, such a great location but the food is mediocre at best and way over priced for what you get. How do you burn fried green tomatoes yet cold when you get them. It is a great place for Music though read more

The service was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up as time passed. I was satisfied. The food was delicious. I RATE THE CRAB DIP AN A read more

Middleton Tavern - The inside of the tavern before it gets busy. - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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My husband and I popped in for happy hour during the week and we sat at the bar. I hate to say it, although I'm going to, but the bartender was quite frankly just arrogant and unfriendly. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine, oysters, and the crab tater tots with "white" cream sauce. Wine was OK. Oysters were good....4 for $7. The sauce on the crab tater tots was NOT a white cream sauce and instead like an orange cheese whiz. We told the bartender that we thought the appetizer was supposed to have a white cream sauce...his reply, "well it's orange today." Oh, OK! While we were there, the live music started and added to and helped our experience! When we left, we saw a couple looking at the menu and let them know there was live music was in the bar. They asked, "how was the food?" I replied with some sort of grunting noise, ugh! They moved on! read more

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Came here with a group of 6 for dinner. Service was very slow and food left much to be desired unfortunately. The crostini that came with the mussels were so hard, I thought I would chip a tooth biting into them. The sesame tuna with noodles was not nearly the same quality as other local restaurants. The half dozen oysters were ok but when we asked for mignonette they said they ran out. I asked the waitress to redeem my free oyster shooter from checking in on Yelp and when I showed her the screen she simply said she didn't know how to do it so we ended up getting charged for it. Too many great restaurants to try in downtown Annapolis...we won't be back to this one. read more

Middleton Tavern - Sesame Seared Tuna - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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What a lovely place!! We had the Penne Crab with vodka sauce, it was a hit! Our server was Lance, he was the most attentive and friendly waiter we have ever had. We loved our drinks (I recommend the Longboard). We will be back! read more

Middleton Tavern - Penne crab with vodka sauce, it was too delicious to not finish! - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Meh. It is a pretty cool place with a lot of history, nice seating and a nice bar area. We stopped in for a bit a lunch. The food was just OK. I had a Reuben on rye and my wife had the crabcake sandwich. The crab cake sandwich was $26, before tip and was nothing to write home about. So, fairly overpriced. Service was just OK. I'd pass on this place. read more

If I could give the food zero stars I would. This was absolutely the worst food I've ever tried and it's just sad how much they charge for such terrible food. I do not understand why they have to go and ruin scallops with breading and then soak it in oil. It was very soggy and disgusting. I tried scrapping off the breading just so I could eat. The salmon itself was unflavored, all they did was load it up with grits and crap to make it seem like a dish. I wish Gordon Ramsey could come to this establishment to really teach you guys how to cook. At least taste the food before you serve it. Very very disappointed with the food. On a positive note, the staff was friendly. read more

Middleton Tavern - Salmon Oscar and scallops which I do not recommend - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

AWFUL wedding weekend service!! Discriminatory towards a person with down syndrome and an unbelievably rude staff member. Had my wedding weekend in Annapolis last weekend. On Thursday night, I walked over to Middleton to ask them if they were expecting any large parties over the weekend bc we were planning on sending 50-100 people there for more drinks and live music after our welcome party (no bar tab or event planned or anything...just to go casually and get some drinks). When I approached the door, one of the employees comes out and just screams, "we're closed!" When I proceeded to ask my question about the weekend, he responded "I don't care who you are or who you come with, you can wait in line like everybody else." I literally wasn't asking for any special favors or treatment...I was only asking if they were expecting other large parties or had any planned events. What a rude way to answer a question like that! The next night when we showed up after our welcome party, there were no issues until the same rude employee from the previous night refused to let one of the people in our party into the bar...she happened to be a 25 year old girl with down syndrome accompanied by her mother!!! Yes, 25 years old with a valid Maryland photo ID and refused to let her into the bar!!! He resisted for no reason for a while but finally relented once another member of our party told him he was being discriminatory, so he begrudgingly let her in. On Saturday night after the wedding, about 25 of us decided to go to Middleton for one last drink. It was 1:10am. Middleton closes at 2:00am (so last call maybe 1:30am?). Everybody gets inside until the bride (yes literally the bride) is the last one trying to get in. That same employee then says "nope, nobody else is coming in." He refused to let the bride into the bar at 1:10am. The bar was not crowded whatsoever. He did not give any reason to refuse her entry other than that "It's 1:10am, nobody else is coming in." I've literally never written a single yelp review before, but I just couldn't let this guy's behavior go. We were not disrespectful to the bar or its employees all weekend. We literally spent hundreds, if not THOUSANDS, of dollars at Middleton that weekend and then he just refused to let the bride in the bar and acted like a complete jerk about it. All the other staff at the bar were friendly and accommodating all weekend. It was only the one rude guy's behavior that ruined it. read more

We were in town for one night. I thought this would be the perfect place to get some crab because of the location. All of the food we ordered was basically microwaved. We tried to order the Maryland crab soup and the waiter said not to because people have sent it back and we wouldn't like it. Ok? We ordered crab bisque. It was like a pudding consistency, not hot and seemed to be from a condensed soup can and not thinned. Crab dip was the soup but with cheese on top, also cold. Crab balls tasted a little turned, definitely frozen not fresh crab meat. Restaurant was overall a little dirty and the bathrooms are up three staircases, definitely not handicap friendly. Bathrooms were not clean. I suggest driving to Mike's on Riva rd for crabs, much better and the restaurant is on the water. read more

Best choice at the wayerfront! MUST TRY- CRAB BALLS!!! OMG best I had the whole trip through DC , Maryland, and the VA- OBX!!! read more

As a hungry vegetarian I was pleasantly surprised to find something to eat here. I came here with a group of fish eaters who love their fish and chips. Other than the salads oh I was happy to find fried green tomatoes. I don't think I ever had them in New York. I had to have them and they were delicious and very satisfying and very big four slices of fried green tomatoes with cheese and eggplant on it. If you are vegetarian I strongly suggest you to get fried green tomatoes. read more

Great historic tavern. We had some fantastic burgers. Seems to be one of the better place to eat in town.

This place didn't have the greatest reviews but I couldn't understand why as the meal and service was awesome. I had the cream of crab soup- so very awesome. Followed by crab balls.... No filler, just crab. Super awesome: then the tuna on wontons- that was also awesome. read more

Middleton Tavern - Tokyo Tuna Tartar - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Ugh, I wish we'd read the reviews before going here. We got sucked in by the cute ambiance outside. Sat and had a few drinks and then decided to order lunch. Such a disappointment. Ordered an eighteen dollar salad and it came on a small side plate. 1 cherry tomato and 1 olive and some lettuce. Approx 2 tsp of lump crabmeat. When we complained that it was insanely meager the server was indifferent- no "hey let me get you a few other olives"' or "hey that doesn't seem right- let me see what I can do to make it right." Crab cake sandwiches were dry and very disappointing too. We really felt as if the servers just did not care. As we looked around us we noticed that the place was kinda empty. Should have taken that as a sign. Big bill for a very disappointing lunch. read more

Full Disclosure: I've never been an Annapolis fan. It's sort of like Old Town, Alexandria but in MD. I think the Naval Academy is their hole in one. Anyway, DH and I went to a local store to make a Christmas return. I was starving and apparently he did not know there were other better restaurants going the other direction (not towards the water). It was a cold day out, and the extreme warmth of the lower floor back by the bar was great. There was no room at the bar, so we sat at a small table near it. It's an old place and they have crammed alot of tables together so if COVID spoiled your desire for spending close time with strangers this will prob not be your place. I had a nutty irishman coffee and we had Fish and Chips and I had the Blue Cheese Burger. The food wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. Our server was great- and the price for the two sandwiches and two drinks was $65. Not bad, but about what you would pay at any other restaurant that is a casual dining experience. Bidenomics, I guess. I'd not return there if I were back in town. Oh, the Double jack and coke that we shared was awesome! read more

Good crab cakes and crab dip. Unique old restaurant not far from the water. Good service.

Go big or stay at home Middleton The food is pretty meh compared to some of the others around the. and for being one of the most historic pubs in America, no one knows anything about it Asking simple questions about the history I always get handed a pamphlet. Bring back the look and history of the location and stop trying to hide it under decor read more

Good solid tavern offering a the Annapolis waterfront. Good atmosphere, crab cake was delicious, the drafts are cold, and the Navy ball game was on. It doesn't take much to please me. Place could have probably used a thorough cleaning and, ultimately, a remodel on the inside to reflect a bit more of it's history, but that's a quibble. Definitely worth a visit. read more

Middleton Tavern - Seafood Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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My drink was good, and so was our crab dip. The service was fast and friendly as well.

Best mussels around! Fun local bar, friendly service and great location. Established in 1968, this place is perfect for locals, those who are returning and tourists in the know. Known as a seafood restaurant, this pace also does great burgers, and steaks. read more

Crab Dip was the Bomb! Food was superb. The staff is friendly, especially our waiter. The environment was nice and laid-back. Would definitely come back! read more

We decided to stop here for a late lunch as we were driving back from Chincoteague Island. For the first time, we were able to find parking in the middle of town because it was a weekday and in the middle of the day. We walked around looking at some of the menus and settled on Middleton Tavern because I wanted to keep my seafood streak until we actually made it home. It was a nice enough day to eat outside and there were a few people doing that. The woman at the door said I could sit inside too but when I walked in, I mistakeningly opened the door on the left and went up a narrow staircase. When I got to the top, I didn't see anybody and chairs were on the tables. Surely she did not mean that to be the dining room? I found out later when I went inside for the restroom that I should have opened the door to the right where the air condition and other diners were. (But note that the bathrooms are still up the flight of stairs on the left. Not sure if anyone needing assistance up the stairs would fare, as I didn't see a stair chair or elevator.) So we ended up eating outside and I had wished we were inside because the flies were nonstop. I ordered the mussels and hubby ordered the pulled pork sandwich. Mussels were great in a very garlicky broth. No complaints about the sandwich either. Thin fries are always good. Service was great and friendly. Environmental aspect - They use real plates, bowls, and metal utensils. Unfortunately, all the drinks were served in plastic disposable cups. Hubby said it was because when some folks drink too much, they might be unstable and break the glass. Bologne. Many bars offer real glasses. This place needs to do the same. read more