Something is different about De Lazy Lizard on the direct bayfront at 1st Street in Ocean City. For starters, the four-year-old establishment has a new head chef, David Micozzi, from Baltimore. Secondly, De Lazy Lizard has a new stage and dance floor on the indoor deck, where Ck the DJ spins the best party tunes, along with many other locally renowned deejays. Third, the kid’s play area gets bigger and better each year, with a jungle gym, moon bounce, and corn hole boards.
    Perhaps De Lazy Lizard’s biggest difference this year is its exciting plan to open a new brewery with a full menu of comfort food, just around the corner. “It’s simple food done well,” explains Chef David, who is planning beer pairing dinners with items like Fish, Chicken, Pork, Rib Eye, Tenderloins, Bratwursts, Crab Dip covered Tater Tots, and Lobster Mac & Cheese with Sausage, to name a few. Five craft beers will be brewed onsite, and Chef David will incorporate the handcrafted spirits in his recipes’ ingredients. The new brewery will be open year-round and will feature catering, and a private party room with a drop-down screen for slideshows and presentations.
    Although tons of great changes are happening at De Lazy Lizard, some things remain the same. Local celebrity Pat Pugh continues to bartend at the establishment, an array of boats continue to enjoy free boat docking, and daily live entertainment continues to please the outdoor deck crowd. And, most importantly, the swaying palm trees and direct bayfront view make De Lazy Lizard the best destination for soaking in the sunset.
My fiancé, Joey, and I arrived at De Lazy Lizard this past holiday weekend on our buddy Jim Prete’s boat (Prudential PenFed Realty) with our good friends Amy & Christopher Unger, and our 11-year-old reporter-in-training, Nevaeh. As Jim steered his boat toward the free boat parking, a friendly staff member at De Lazy Lizard greeted us from the dock and offered to help tie our boat. We checked into the hostess stand, where a group of gracious young ladies welcomed our party. On the outdoor deck, local musician Ryan Jackson was strumming his acoustic guitar and wailing sing-along beach songs. Nevaeh made a beeline for the children’s play area, where she gleefully got her game on.
    We sat at a large, umbrella-covered table on the sandy bayfront dining area. Manager Leo visited our table and recommended that we order some of the new items on De Lazy Lizard’s improved menu. Our kind server, Morgan, handled multiple tables with ease, and was exceptionally attentive to all of her customers and us.
    Following Leo’s expert advice, we tried some new items. For our appetizers, our table ordered the Queso Sticks and Fried Pickle Chips. The Queso Sticks are comprised of tangy nacho cheese rolled in crushed tortilla chips and served with salsa and sweet and spicy boom boom sauce. Fried Pickle Chips, which were our crowd’s favorite, are sliced pickles coated with cornmeal and served with ranch dressing and boom boom sauce. Both appetizers are must-have dishes.
    New entrées on the menu at De Lazy Lizard are an eight-ounce Filet Mignon grilled to your liking, and Twin Lobster Tails stuffed with crabmeat. Classic entrées include two Lizard Chicken breasts topped with jerk seasoning or tangy BBQ mango glaze, and a Chesapeake Mahi filet seasoned with butter, garlic, and Old Bay. Hog Wild Rib Wings are huge, tender, flavor-packed BBQ rib pieces smothered in spicy BBQ sauce. Maryland Style Crab Cakes, House NY Strip, Flounder, and Jumbo Fried Shrimp are additional available entrées.
    We also indulged in some of our favorite signature items on the menu. For Nevaeh, we ordered the Coconut Shrimp—a half dozen tender shrimp screaming with coconut flavor and served with sweet chili sauce. Joey ordered his go-to appetizer, the classic Crab Dip, which is topped with melted cheese and Old Bay, and served in an edible bread bowl. “I absolutely love the Old Bay flavoring,” said Jim, who was born and raised on the Eastern Shore. Jim also ordered the Blackened Mahi-Mahi Sandwich, which is perfectly cooked and seasoned with special blackening and served with a cucumber wasabi sauce. He raved about it.
    For our next course, Amy and Christopher shared the Fish Tacos—two soft flour tortillas filled with seasoned white fish, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and garlic boom boom sauce. Nevaeh tried the Soft Crabs Sandwich—two lightly breaded and seasoned soft crabs on a soft roll. In her 11 years, she never before had tried a soft shell crab sandwich. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and ate every last bite. Joey ordered the Crabby Chicken Melt, a tender grilled breast topped with homemade creamy cab dip and melted cheddar cheese.
    I opted to order a featured summer selection. I enjoyed the Eastern Shore Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Comprised of crab dip, tomato, bacon, and cheddar cheese on country white bread, this sandwich simply tastes like summertime. Another featured summer selection is the Tropical Salad with mixed greens, slivered almonds, mandarin oranges, sweet cranberries, crispy wonton strips, and Caribbean mango vinaigrette. The featured entrée is a half pound of Garlic Shrimp sautéed with fresh zucchini and corn in a garlic wine sauce over rice pilaf. Turkey Club Wrap, Chicken and Corn Tortilla Soup, and Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Fries were the featured specials.
    A variety of soups and salads, including Cream of Crab Soup and Jerk Chicken Salad are on the menu, as well as signature appetizers like Ahi Tuna, Godzilla Nachos, Wings, and Leapin’ Lizard Logs (hand cut, breaded mozzarella cheese logs). Cheeseburger, Philly Burger, California Burger, Black and Bleu, Crabby Patty, and Roundup Burger comprise the burger menu. Additional sandwiches and sliders are also available.
    “We have rotating specials every day,” said Chef David, who took time from his kitchen to introduce himself. Having relocated to the beach in May 2013, David is eager to pay it forward to his new community. He is seeking local farmers, creameries, and watermen with which to build supplier relationships. For more information, call David at 410-289-1122, visit www.oclazylizard.com or follow the establishment on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/oclazylizard.