An Eastern Shore tradition, Waterman’s Seafood just keeps getting better. Its All-You-Can-Eat special is amazing, featuring crabs, shrimp, corn on the cob, chicken, fries, and hush puppies. Plus, the establishment expands and renovates, year after year, boasting a fun sports bar that entertains visitors and locals on a year-round basis, and a new ground floor oyster bar, combined with a takeout store. Add to the mix a sandy, outdoor tiki bar with palm trees and reggae music, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a fun dining destination.
    “I never ate here until I started working here,” explains Terry, our friendly and informative server. “Now I tell everyone we have the best food around.” Indeed, I know many locals who cite Waterman’s as their favorite restaurant simply because of its delicious food. The restaurant won second place in Ocean City’s Crab Soup Cookoff last month for its splendid Cream of Crab recipe.
    Waterman’s serves dinner specials seven days per week for less than $15. A huge chalkboard running along the back wall of the restaurant displays daily specials and fresh fish catches. Mahi, Tuna, Salmon, Haddock, Rockfish, Swordfish, and Flounder were fresh fish selections that made the board when I visited Waterman’s this week. Homemade sauces to garnish the fish were Dill Cream, Mango Butter, Old Bay Crab Butter, Thai Chili, Blackbean Corn Salsa, and Jumbo Lump Crab Imperial.
    I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Waterman’s this week with my gorgeous friend, Stacey Payne, a longtime Ocean City local who recently relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina. It was so nice to have Stacey in town for a visit. She started her meal with an order of the award winning Cream of Crab Soup. Our server, Terry, recommended the Hot Crab Pretzel and Angels on Horseback for our starter dishes too. We took her advice and tried the yummy hot baked Philly pretzel topped with crab dip and melted cheese. It’s a very satisfying starter dish. We also sampled the jumbo gulf shrimp stuffed with horseradish, wrapped in bacon, and topped with BBQ sauce. This recipe is the perfect combination of spicy and sweet.
    For our main course, Stacey ordered the Broiled Seafood Combination with shrimp, scallops, crab cake, and flounder. “I haven’t had scallops in so long,” said Stacey as she relished every bite. I ordered the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake Platter, broiled, with two sides. The two crab cakes are monstrous proportions with nothing but lump meat. “This is like the ocean in your mouth,” jokes Stacey, who misses living next to the Atlantic.
    Other seafood entrées at Waterman’s include Salmon, Fish and Chips, Soft Crab Platter, Scallops Platter, Fried Oyster Platter, Whole Lobster, Jumbo Shrimp Platter, Crab Imperial, and Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp. “From the Land” selections are Fried Chicken, Prime Rib, Sirloin Filet, Rack of Ribs, and Chicken Chesapeake topped with ham and crab imperial. Many combinations of land and sea delicacies are available.
    Waterman’s also features a bar with steamed goodies like Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Blue Crabs, and Shrimp. For an indulgence, try the Snow Crab Clusters. The raw bar offers Top Neck Clams on the Half Shell and Oysters on the Half Shell. A popular appetizer at the restaurant is Seafood Skins, baked potato halves loaded with shrimp, scallops, and melted cheese. Other starter items are Crab Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Clams Casino, Fried Shrimp, Clam Strips, Wings, Buffalo Chicken Fingers, French Fries, Hush Puppies, and Onion Rings. Vegetable Crab and Clam Chowder top off the Soups selections.
     Pasta dishes are also served at Waterman’s, including Linguine with Marinara Sauce or Alfredo Sauce. Add some seafood, meatballs, or chicken to your pasta dish for an extra hearty meal. For smaller appetites, Small Plates and Sandwiches are available, including Fresh Fish Sandwich, Shrimp Salad, Soft Shell Crab, Prime Rib, Carolina BBQ, and Cheeseburger. When you’re selecting your sides to go with your entrée, I suggest the Potato Salad and sweet Macaroni Salad. Both are the perfect complement to any meal.
    Happy Hour takes place Monday through Friday at Waterman’s from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. Many of Waterman’s appetizers and sandwiches are discounted for Happy Hour, plus a few extra treats like Wings, Nachos, Pizza, and Sliders. Throughout the year, NFL and NASCAR specials are available in the upstairs sports bar. Checkout DJ Geezy in the sports bar on Saturday, June 23, followed by one of my favorite local reggae acts, Kaleb Brown, in the tiki bar on Saturday, July 14.
    Frozen drinks and microbrews are refreshing features for the 21-and-over crowd. Stacey sampled the drink special of the day, the June Bug, which is an enticing mix of banana liqueur, melon liqueur, and pineapple splash. “It’s like an island in a glass,” says Stacey. I enjoyed the Key West Sunset Ale microbrew. It’s the perfect summertime brew.
    Waterman’s Seafood Company presents a special carry-out offer of 12 pieces of Fried Chicken, one pound of Steamed or Fried Shrimp, and three sides for $19.99. The restaurant is conveniently located in West Ocean City on Route 50 at 12505 Ocean Gateway. Find Waterman’s on Twitter and Facebook, or visit the restaurant’s website at www.crabsoc.com . For more information regarding dining in or carry-out, call 410-213-1020.