What a wonderful hidden gem tucked away off the beaten path in Essex--it's the last place I'd…read moreexpect to find something like this. My mom has lived just off Marilyn Avenue for years and had no idea it was here! When I came to visit, we were looking for somewhere outdoors with a relaxed atmosphere, and I was so happy we stumbled across this place. We came for lunch with my family on a Monday, and it couldn't have been a better day. Even though it was July, the weather was comfortable with a light breeze, plenty of shade, and almost no crowd--we practically had the place to ourselves. The outdoor space has three distinct seating areas, each with its own vibe. There's a grassy, creekside picnic area with cornhole, a central mostly covered picnic table section that's perfect for groups, and a stage and dock area that has a fun, laid-back beach atmosphere. The service was excellent. Both our server and the bartender were friendly, attentive, and helpful throughout our visit. The food was also surprisingly affordable for the quality and portion sizes. We shared a giant crab pretzel for $16, enjoyed $0.90 wings, and everything we ordered was delicious. One of my favorite parts of the experience was simply lingering after our meal with a drink in hand. It was peaceful watching the ducks and other birds and wildlife along the water--it really added to the relaxing atmosphere and made us want to stay longer. If you're looking for a casual spot to enjoy good food, reasonable prices, and a beautiful waterfront setting, this place is absolutely worth seeking out. We'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town.

Stopped by Brewer's Landing and really enjoyed the overall experience. The atmosphere is definitely…read moreone of the highlights. it's right on the waterfront with a great view, plenty of outdoor seating, four pool tables, and dartboards. The bartenders and servers were all incredibly friendly, kept checking in on us throughout, and everyone at the bar was welcoming. The $9 crushes were a great. They were made with freshly squeezed orange juice, which made them taste fresh and not overly sweet. The Italian cold cut sub was excellent, loaded with meat and very flavorful. The Maryland crab soup was okay. It tasted more like a vegetable soup with only a small amount of crab, and I think it could have used a bit more seasoning. I also tried the chili, which came with onions, cheese, and sour cream, along with tortilla chips on the side. It was hearty, but I thought it could have benefited from a little more acidity and cumin to really make the flavors pop. Overall, the food was good, but the friendly service, relaxed waterfront setting, and entertainment options really make Brewer's Landing worth visiting. I'd definitely come back for the crushes, the Italian cold cut, and to spend an afternoon enjoying the atmosphere.

I will agree with most of the comments I have seen about the food. Everything that we have tried…read morehas been very good. The Chicken Parmesan sandwich I had last night was on point and my girlfriend had a very good chicken quesadilla as well. Prices are pretty reasonable. My only beef is with the service. The bar is a little "cliquey" from several observations. The regulars seem to get waited on immediately and a newcomer gets a "I'll be right with you". No placemats, no silverware, no napkins seems to be the norm. Had to ask for ketchup when my fries came out after getting chips by mistake. We will most likely go back though, especially since The Bird River Inn changed their whole menu and did away with most of our favorite menu items. Everything is smoked now and very salty. If you're looking for ambience, you may want to try somewhere else. The Dugout is a hole in the wall dive bar and has been for decades...just the way the regulars like it!

We stopped by this bar after kayaking at Mariner State Park on a Monday evening. Dugout Tavern is…read moreout of the way from the rest of the busy streets, but it is worth stopping by. They have one pool table where APA league members usually play, a shuffle board, and a number of TVs for sports games (although they are not HD). I could tell this was a local go-to for many of the customers at this bar especially since they all seemed to know each other. Our bartender was very friendly with helping us decide what to order. We got the Belly Buster Fried Fish sub ($8.99), with a side of fries (an extra $2) and Italian Cold Cut ($9.50), with a side of chips (free), along with a Loose Cannon ($5.00) & Grapefruit Crush ($6.00). The subs were pretty good. The fried cod (I believe it was) was nice and crispy and the tartar sauce paired perfectly to cut the richness of the grease. The portion was definitely money's worth. The cold cuts in my sub were fresh. There was enough acid to not make the bread soggy. The grapefruit crush was very icy. I noticed the bartender made it by blending a grapefruit fruit cup with ice and some grapefruit-vodka. When I was done with my first drink, she poured the rest of the mixture from the blender into my glass, which I thought was very nice. All in all, dugout tavern is a hidden gem that has great food and service. There is also parking on site and outdoor seating.

Great atmosphere and amazing bartenders. It's a fun, affordable night out! The band was awesome as…read morewell!

Impressive especially for a divish place. Cheap beer, good crabcakes and wings. Bartenders are busy…read moreso I did not expect exceptional service by any means. Lets be realistic. Still, a neighborhood gem.

4/22/2026 You know when you just want a quick bite and drink…read morewhile you wait for an appointment to finish up, this was the spot for that. Nice location with plenty of parking and it was packed, I was not expecting so much traffic inside but this place was jumping. I opted to sit in the dinning area which had nice lighting and room for the whole family. I got the rockfish tacos and TT's tiki tea both were great, service was just fine Maria was very attentive. Looking forward to coming back and actually trying the crabs cause the way the place was packed it's a must. Bathroom rating:5/5

This was my 2nd visit to Mr. Bill's. We decide to try a new place out for crabs & overall it was an…read moreokay choice. We ordered a dozen and 1/2 of medium crabs (I believe male) & corn. The crabs came out streaming hot and ready to eat but we did have to let them cool down a bit first. They were a nice size, heavy, and thoroughly seasoned. Some of them did look a little unappealing and seemed burnt (black in color) but when we opened them they were okay. I did like the seasoning in the crabs at Mr. Bills a lot more than other places I've tried. They don't use the large crystal rock salt and it also has somewhat of a tang to it which I enjoyed. We also orders some appetizers: mozzarella sticks, buffalo wings, and cream of crabs soup. Those were all average, not really anything I'd probably order again. The wings were fried first then sauced but majority of them were fried so well done that the meat was a crisp so we didn't really enjoy that. The soup was okay, but it was salty & not as thick/ creamy as I would have liked. Overall I'd rate the experience a 7/10, but I would do back for crabs.

The food was tasty and well priced. I ordered the cream of crab soup. The flavor was good , but…read morehad a bit too much seafood seasoning for me. My seafood salad sandwich was amazing-- real lobster meat, shrimp, and crab meat. Jameson was an amazing host and service was superb. The atmosphere, we sat outside, was truly relaxing and wonderful on a sunny summer day. Will surely return.

If you want to waste your money, head on over. ​We went to…read morecelebrate my wife's birthday, hoping for a nice dinner and a good time with our 2 year old son. Instead, we spent the night surrounded by security. I didn't have my ID on me when I tried to order a mixed drink which I completely understood and didn't argue about , but it felt completely over the top. The whole staff seemed to get involved over something minor, and security even came over to tap our table and warn us not to touch a drink that was sitting on my wife's side. Imagine trying to eat a family dinner in your late 20s while being treated like that. ​To make matters worse, they seated us outside in the darkest, dingiest corner of the restaurant with no lights, no fan, and spiders everywhere, even though plenty of better tables with lights and fans were wide open. ​Our server, Kaylee, was terrible. We didn't get water until 20 minutes after sitting down. After our appetizers arrived, we realized we had no plates or silverware. When our main entrees came out, we still had zero utensils, so I had to walk up to the bar to get them myself. And the food was just as bad I ordered the stuffed rockfish, and it came out rubbery and nasty. ​To top it all off, they slapped an 18% auto gratuity onto an $75 bill for a table of three (two adults and a toddler). ​You will never survive as a business if you keep treating customers this way. Good luck.

if you are looking for a heavy pour, good bar food & a pool…read moretable this place is for you! the service was attentive & the ambiance gives dive bar with good food. Theres so parking and accessible entrance.

JOY WAS A EXCELLENT SERVER! Wings were great! Drinks were great! I had a whiskey punch! Parking is…read moretight when crowded but there is street parking! Atmosphere is cool, game was on.

People and staff were nice. A lil off the beaten path but appears to be hidden in a nook of a…read moreneighborhood. I was there during day only, food was fine, place is clean, the shrimp salad is made fresh, they were making while we were there. Not a lot of parking. Seems like a local secret, very chill. We would try it again, they seem to have music at night, I don't know the age group that it draws...may not be important to some. They have a few craft beers on tap. A good dive. No complaints.

We went to this tap house because their happy hour was over at 8pm. We really didn't need happy…read morehour prices because this place was affordable. They had so many beers on tap I couldn't make up my mind. The bartender was super friendly, they knew we were from out of town because the majority of the customers are regulars. The regular customers were friendly and giving us suggestions. I actually felt like I was at home. There is no food but they have snacks, peanuts, cheese balls and pretzels. So eat before you get there.

This was our first time here and I loved it. As a long time bartender the most overwhelming thing…read morewas how clean it was. No funky smells no flies, bathrooms were prestine for both women's and men's and the bartender and people were great! Def going back next time were at the dog park.

This was my second time at Charly's and wow was it just as good as the first time! We arrived…read morearound 5:40 p.m. on a Saturday evening and while it was busy it wasn't crowded and we didn't have to wait long for a table. The first thing I noticed was the host was so patient and kind. She also was so friendly. Once we were sat we were greeted by our server who was also extremely kind and helpful with our questions and needs. We placed our drink orders, a mocktail for me (Cranberry Cosmo) and a Charly's Crush for my friend. The mocktail was served in a martini glass and was so delicious. I'll be honest I was impressed and pleased that the mocktail was only $9 as some places charge the same price for mocktails as they do cocktails. We ordered appetizers for dinner 2 crab pretzels and crispy brussels. The crab pretzel was soft, delicious and had the perfect amount of old bay, crab meat + cheese! The brussel were crispy, with priscuitto, a homemade dijon mustard sauce and gorgonzola cheese. For three of us this was perfect and delicious! The restaurant is beautiful and on the water. One of the things I really love is that you can sit inside but with the garage doors open you feel like you're on the patio. Outdoors there are benches, yard games and mini golf. And while there was live music that was ending for the evening it didn't feel overly loud or overwhelming. My only complaints about this evening were not the fault of the restaurant but we did have a few flies around our table that were annoying. And I was really hoping to have an egg custard snowball with marshmallow and they were out of marshmallow :)! I would 100% visit again and continue to try different menu items!

Who knew you could find a beachy vibe on the water in Essex. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at…read morethe views and food Charlys Waterfront had to offer. In need of a new restaurant for happy hour with a friend, I stumbled upon Charlys Waterfront. Upon arrival I immediately felt like I was transported to restaurant on the beach. A nice outside area and bar for lounging late into the summer nights, mini golf for the kiddies, and good drinks and food. Our bartender was great and very attentative, given it was her first night behind the bar. And the crushes were quite tasty. The menu had a decent amount of seafood items given we were dining on the water. And the star of the night were the nachos. The chips seems to be house fried and the cheese sauce was divine. Now that I've discovered this hidden gem on the water I'm definitely looking forward to my next visit to Charlys Waterfront and an opportunity to relax near the water with a grapefruit crush in hand.