Unwind and Dine on Maryland’s Western Shore
St. Mary’s County, the Oyster Capital of the East Coast
If you’re looking for a destination that offers a slow, relaxing pace of waterfront living, history around every corner, and endless, forested greenspace inviting you to adventure and recreation, St. Mary’s, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay will pique both your spirit and your tastebuds.
Taste the World at Pier450
Maryland Road Trips
Southern Maryland has fantastic food, from crab fritters to local oysters celebrated at the U.S. Oyster Festival, held every fall at the St. Mary’s County Fairground. But it’s not where you’d think to go for something exotic, like Vietnamese, Armenian, or Ethiopian cuisine. Now you do, thanks to POV Restaurant’s international Chef’s Tastings dinner series.
When Your Newest Bucket List Destination is Really Rather Close to Home
Pier450, a restaurant and refurbished roadside-style motel on the point where the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac meet in Maryland, has been on my bucket list since before it opened a few years ago. What appeals? It seems so serene, located way the heck in the middle of nowhere in Southern Maryland (St. Mary’s County), perhaps one of the few parts of my small state I’d never managed to investigate when I was covering the regional travel beat, in the beginning of my career.
City Cast DC Podcast
Episode: Local Trips to Spice Up Your Love Life
“Funky charm” — award winning travel writer/blogger Tim Ebner gives The Quarters at Pier450 a great mention in the Valentine’s Day podcast on City Cast DC.
Hush Puppies & Crab Balls With Remoulade Sauce
from Master Chef Carlos Gomez-Starnes POV Restaurant at Pier450, Ridge, Md.
Since its opening in 2020, POV Restaurant at Pier450 has become the destination dining spot for St. Mary’s County, Md. Chef Carlos’ crab balls are one of the reasons why. His elevated take on a Southern Maryland staple makes the perfect savory bite for any season, so they stay on the menu year-round.
When you’re looking to change it up, keep an eye out for their “Chef’s Tastings” dinner series as well. Chef Carlos takes diners on a culinary journey with themed dinners reflecting different cuisines around the world. Held biweekly on Sunday nights, these special menus range from three to five courses.
How I Spent a Weekend in St. Mary’s County
Maryland Road Trips
After a full day, it was time for dinner. You could easily spend your entire trip to St. Mary’s County just eating and drinking. I nearly did! I dined at Pier 450 POV Restaurant, a former fishing camp in Ridge, that is now a wildly popular resort-bar-beach-gift shop-restaurant honoring the local waterman heritage. The hush puppies here are everything good and right in the world. The chic complex includes Pier450 – The Quarters Motel, stylishly curated accommodations that really add to the posh Miami vibe!
A Timeless Transformation
A 1940s fish camp is reborn at Pier 450
Everyone who grew up in St. Mary’s County knows about Scheible’s fish camp. Built in 1946, this family-run fish camp and restaurant was a favorite for charter captains around the Bay for 50-plus years. So when Oklahoma-born, D.C. transplant Peggy Binzel decided to turn it into something else, she knew she needed to tread carefully, respecting the past while birthing a new concept. The result is Pier450, a mid-century style motel and restaurant with a cheeky feel that nods to its roots while offering something completely different.
Wonder at the Waterfront: Pier450
Former fishing camp has been transformed into upscale dining destination in southern St. Mary’s
“One of the most creatively appointed motel/restaurants you’ll likely ever encounter,” reads the website for Pier450 in Ridge, and the sentiment could not be truer. Fortunately, Southern Maryland residents don’t have to travel far to find this delightful pearl located at the southernmost tip of a beautiful rural countryside drive at the end of St. Mary’s County.
Mapped: Every Place to Eat and Drink on the Water (That We Know of) Around DC
Cracking crabs by a dock. Sipping a cocktail while watching boats glide by. Is there anything that screams languid summer day more than eating and drinking with a water view?
In this region, we’re fortunate to have all sorts of waterfront on which to site a restaurant or bar—rivers, lakes, and of course the mighty Chesapeake Bay. So we’ve looked for every possible place, both in the immediate Washington area and within a two-and-a-half-hour drive of DC…
This Just In
Pier450 in Southern Maryland Announces Addition of Offsite Catering Services
