Understated from the front entrance, the 45th Street Taphouse and Bayside Taphouse  is a bayfront experience that stretches from coastal highway, past an outdoor tiki bar, to an expansive dining room and deck bar over the water on the bay front. “I can’t believe how big this place is,” my friends and I voiced repetitively during our dinner at the gigantic establishment.
    The centerpiece of the 45th Street Bar & Grille Bayside dining room is a wrap-around bar made with custom wood that features logo stickers from local breweries. More than 100 taps and 36 craft brews are on tap. The bar is indoors and outdoors, with an open wall exposing the panoramic bayfront view. It’s simply stunning.
    Staffed by professional food and beverage experts who pride themselves on training and advancing their workforce, the 45th Street Taphouse has plans to expand this fall so the Bayside Taphouse location will close in October to begin renovations for their brewery. (The 45th St. Taphouse and deck will remain open.) Look for Big Assawoman Brewery, named after Ocean City’s Assawoman Bay, to open in Spring 2014. Rumor has it that its first signature craft brew will be named Fat Bottom Girl. I can’t wait to try it.
    When my friends and I visited 45th Street Taphouse this week, manager Andrew greeted us and treated us to a sampling of craft tasters. We had the privilege of sampling the Devils Backbone Vienna Lager, Victory Headwaters Pale Ale, Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar, Breckinridge Agave Wheat, and Vienna Lager—Andrew’s recommendation for the smoothest craft brew. In addition to October-themed and pumpkin-flavored brews, the 45th Street Taphouse has an extensive beer list and a knowledgeable staff to help you make the best selection for your preferences.
    As we settled at a large tabletop with a wall of flat-screen televisions on one side, and a breathtaking view of the sunset on the other side, head chef Daniel Mears emerged from the kitchen and introduced himself. Daniel had prepared several tasty appetizers for our table, and an extra special entrée.
    We started our dining experience with the Taphouse Pretzels. Served with spicy Guinness mustard and signature Natty Boh cheese, these Bavarian pretzel sticks are a definite crowd pleaser. Chef Daniel also provided our table with an order of Crabby Balls. Made with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, each ball is nearly the size of a crab cake. Served with Old Bay tarter sauce, the Crabby Balls are fresh and satisfying. Finally, the chef treated us to the Crabby Pretzel, which is a hot, creamy concoction of fresh Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat, cream cheese, mayo, celery, and Monterey Jack cheese piled high on a Bavarian pretzel braid. It’s like a delicious crab dip on top of a pretzel, only better. To spice things up a little bit, we also ordered the Buffalo Chicken Dip appetizer. Not for the faint of heart, this dish is a combination of roast chicken, Monterey Jack, wing sauce, bleu cheese, and ranch dressing, served with celery and baguette. It’s lip-smacking and fiery good.
    For our entrée, Chef Daniel presented Seared Scallops. Pan seared scallops are served over a wild rice and exotic mushroom risotto with lemon bacon butter sauce. We agreed we would definitely order this entrée again. The Taphouse main dining room serves a seasonal menu, which changes to include fresh, timely recipes. Examples of entrées are Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Seared Ahi with tomato and avocado salad, Taphouse Imperial, and Lobster Alfredo. The Sea Fra Diablo is a melting pot of mussels, shrimp, scallops, and crab over spicy marinara and fresh pasta. Meat lovers can indulge in Filet, Angus Beef Brisket, and New York Strip.
    During football season, or any day of the week, a variety of munchies, soups, salads, and sandwiches are available. Taphouse Wings are crispy and smothered in flavors, such as BBQ, Old Bay, Sweet-N-Sour, and Wicked Hot. Creamy Crab Soup is prepared with fresh lump crab, cream, and Old Bay. Try the Guinness Stout Chili for ground Angus sirloin with peppers, onions, Guinness stout, and chipotle peppers.
    Each Bonzer Burger at 45th Street Taphouse is a half-pound of certified Angus beef on a toasted Kaiser roll. The Gnar Max Burger is made with jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, and habanera mayo. Boss Hog is a burger topped with BBQ pulled pork and jalapeño Cole slaw. The Road King is topped with crab cake, lettuce, tomato, and Old Bay tarter. Classic burgers include the Black & Bleu and the Baconlicious.
    Intriguing sandwiches are The Chopper with chopped rib eye, Natty Boh beer cheese, and grilled onions and peppers on an Amoroso roll, and the Best Ever BLT with three-times smoked apple wood bacon. Crabcake, BBQ Chicken, and Pulled Pork round off the sandwich menu.
    Of course, Chef Daniel wouldn’t let us end our meal without two generous portions of dessert. We devoured a plate of Black Betty—warm molten lava cake with black raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. We also enjoyed the Very Berry Tall Cake—fresh berries over lemon pound cake with vanilla ice cream.
    The 45th Street Taphouse is family friendly and presents a kid’s menu. I’m sending a special “thank you” to our server, Nick, who is exceptionally friendly and took extremely good care of us. We returned to the Taphouse on Sunday for a full day of football and food. The high-definition televisions featured a variety of NFL games, while Zion Reggae Band kept the positive vibes flowing with live music on the bayfront deck. It was a perfect day.
    On Saturday, October 5, come to the 45th Street Taphouse for the 2nd Annual Beerfest from 1-7 PM. Happy Hour is from 3-6 PM, Monday through Friday, at the Taphouse, featuring $3 wine, $4 bombs and fireball shots, discounts on craft brews, and more. Live bands perform weekly on the outdoor deck. Call 443-664-2201 or visit 45taphouse.com for more information.