Ocean City’s best-kept secret is the Frog Bar & Grill overlooking the Inlet and Assateague Island at the southern-most point of the boardwalk. Every day is a Saturday at the family-owned-and-operated Frog Bar. In the morning, you can observe wild ponies soaking in the sunrise along the shore of Assateague Island. In the evenings, watch phenomenal, panoramic sunsets while dolphins put on a show in the Inlet waters. Wave to the passing fishing vessels from the second-level restaurant with a direct, waterfront view like no other.

Husband-and-wife owners Delmar and Dena Smith purchase fresh, seasonal produce from local stands each morning. Bread and rolls are freshly baked on the premises each day, and the sauces are also homemade. Delmar and Dena also maintain an herb garden to season their dishes. Everything on the menu is made fresh when you order, so sit back, relax, and enjoy a brew with a view. Many of the brews on tap are from regional craft breweries, including Burley Oak, Dogfish Head, and Tall Tales.

Delmar, a retired state trooper, rides his Fat Tire bicycle to work every day, rain or shine. He sends a special “thank you” to all of the Frog Bar’s loyal, regular customers that submitted nominations for the restaurant to the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives television show. Keep writing in!

I met a group of friends on the waterfront deck at Frog Bar this week, and we devoured the daily dinner specials—Grilled Tuna Sandwich and two fried Fish Tacos served on warm flour tortillas with cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cheddar cheese, and Chipotle cream sauce. The Grilled Tuna Sandwich included a thick, humongous cut of tuna steak, grilled to temperature with wasabi mayo. The deck was packed full of happy customers taking advantage of Froggy Hour from 8-9 PM. We watched an incredible sunset, followed by a rare “super moon” rise over the ocean.

Frog Bar specializes in hand-pattied, char-grilled, fresh ground beef burgers. The Butch Burger is topped with crispy, thick-cut bacon, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and creamy ranch. The Hawaiian Burger is piled high with sweet ham, grilled pineapple, melted Swiss cheese, and homemade honey mustard. Topped with a marinated and grilled whole portabella mushroom, the Mushroom & Swiss Burger is the best seller.

Frog Bar also serves up char-grilled, all-white chicken breast sandwiches, such as the Hawaiian Chicken and the Bacon Swiss Ranch. For an extra kick, try the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich tossed in homemade buttery buffalo sauce and topped with crisp romaine, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and chunky blue cheese sauce.

Other fresh sandwiches at Frog Bar include The Big Fish, which is a foot-long, half-pound of beer-battered haddock topped with homemade tarter sauce. My favorite sandwich is the Pulled Pork Sandwich—tender, slow cooked southern style BBQ pork served with homemade slaw. Try the quarter-pound Chili Cheese Dog or the Frog Dog—an all beef quarter-pound hotdog deep-fried and grilled. Hearty appetites will appreciate The Italian with capicola ham, Genoa salami, Italian mortadella, lettuce, tomato, mayo, oil & vinegar on a fresh baked roll. A classic crowd pleaser is the Grilled Cheese & homemade soup or chili.

We also ordered a basket of hand cut Old Bay Fries served Maryland style with dipping sauce, and an order of Loaded Nachos—crispy tortilla chips smothered with homemade chili & spicy cheese sauce, layered with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, salsa, and sour cream. Selected from the herb garden and local produce stands, the fresh ingredients make the nachos a winning choice. Frog Bar offers baskets too, including Yuengling Fish & Chips and Chicken Tenders with an array of homemade dipping sauce choices.

Appetizers on the menu at Frog Bar include Lava Melts—crispy, deep-fried raviolis stuffed with spicy cheese queso, drizzled with homemade buffalo sauce, and served with cool ranch. The thick cut Onion Rings are beer-battered in Guinness. Plump & juicy Chicken Wings flavors are mild, hot, BBQ, Old Bay, garlic butter, jerk, garlic, elephant, neked, and Crying Frog—hotter than hot.

Freshly-made salad options are the Chef Salad and the Fresh Grilled Salad, which is a concoction of a char-grilled head of romaine lettuce topped with tomatoes, onions, bacon, sharp cheddar, and creamy cool buttermilk ranch. Try the Lily Pad Salad for crisp romaine, locally-grown tomatoes, red onion, celery leaves, cheddar cheese, and your choice of dressing. Tuna, Chicken, or Portabella can be added to any salad. Fresh Soups include Chili, Soup of the Day, and Spicy Crab & Sweet Corn—a light cream based soup with Maryland crabmeat, local corn, fresh tarragon, and a splash of sweet brandy.

Frog Bar is open for breakfast and serves up a full menu to start your day. House specials are Western Omelet, Sausage & Gravy, Pancakes & Sausage, Creamed Chipped Beef, and Breakfast Bowl. Hot Sandwiches include the Big Bubba with fried bologna, egg, and cheese; The Croaker with egg, cheese, and deep-fried and grilled sausage; and Froginator with scrapple, egg, and cheese. The locals named the Frogzilla for its monstrous pile of fresh sausage, bacon, bologna, ham, scrapple, eggs, American cheese, home fries, and sausage gravy. A plethora of side items and customized breakfast dishes are also available for breakfast.

Frog Bar is family friendly, offering a Tad Poles menu with smoothies for the little ones. Apparel is sold throughout the establishment. The T-shirts are stylish, and the hats, magnets, and koozies are funny collectibles. Orange Crushes are always discounted at Frog Bar, too.

During downtown Ocean City’s July 4th celebrations, Frog Bar is an ideal vantage point to take in the sights and sounds of the holiday. Happy Hour is from 3-6 PM, and Froggy Hour is from 8-9 PM. For more information, dial 410-289-FROG or visit www.facebook.com/frogbarandgrill.