McGarvey’s Saloon & Oyster Bar
8 Market Space, Annapolis, MD, 21401
McGarvey’s Saloon & Oyster Bar Menu
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Address :
8 Market Space
Annapolis, MD, 21401 - Phone (410) 263-5700
- Website https://www.mcgarveyssaloon.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 1:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Music : Background
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Sonja G.
One of my favorite spots!!! Not sure why it only got 3.5 stars. People are friendly and the mussels in butter and spices are some of the best I've ever had. Just tried the shrimp salad sandwich (we usually just order two orders of mussels) and it was amazing!!! We simply can't visit Annapolis without stopping here.
(5)Charles P.
The good: crab dip was awesome The bad: Crab cakes were ruined by stale rolls and I think our waiter was on drugs he took our order twice and brought two rounds of appetizers. The Fries are round cut potatoes and are super soggy, probably the worst fries I've had in awhile.
(2)Viv G.
The first few times we came here, we thought we had found "our spot." A baker's dozen oysters for $6 and premium happy hour drinks for $4? Yes please!! Unfortunately, the amazing oyster deal didn't last. They're still cheaper than we've been able to find elsewhere in Annapolis, but not enough that we will go out of our way to come here frequently. The crab dip is delicious but overpriced, and they charge for extra bread. The sandwiches and entrees we have gotten are mediocre. The ambience is decent, but it can get really loud and crowded and the quality of service fluctuates.
(3)Kelli H.
Our tour guide at the naval academy recommended this bar and suggested I get the seafood sampler and an aviator...and that I did! It was delicious and hit the spot. Our server Matt provided great customer service!
(5)Charles C.
I was entertaining a friend from Gloucester, MA and returning the favor of some very good seafood dinners enjoyed while I visited him. We went to McGarvey's for crab cakes and oysters. Much to my chagrin my friend expressed disappointment on our exit. I had hoped he didn't notice but the crab cakes were only average in quality and flavor. They were also very pricey. I was embarrassed to take my friend for such a disappointing crab cake after he introduced me to such high quality seafood in Gloucester and Rockport, MA. It was as if we were ordering crab cakes in PA or some other crab-less state. Shame on you McGarvey's. However, I must say that the service was very good. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly.
(2)M H.
Happy hour here is excellent and clearly a locals favorite. Roughly $8.50 for a half dozen raw oysters or raw clams and $1 oyster shooters with vodka. Their lumpia (Filipino egg roll) is solid, as is their Maryland crab soup. Solid craft beer selection. We were in Annapolis for a few nights and kept coming back here! There is also a nice back area with a second bar.
(5)Jason H.
I would give this zero stars if I could. First, the server never brought me the drink I ordered. I reminded him about twenty minutes later and he brought the drink out fairly quickly after that. But then I didn't see him for the next hour. Nor did I see my food. I saw that the table next to me, which came half an hour after me, received the exact thing I ordered. Obviously the server forgot to put my order in. And after he realized it he avoided me. To be fair, he could just be incompetent and the rest of the waiting staff could be stellar, but I wouldn't recommend eating at this establishment. They don't seem to care for service.
(1)Soso A.
Local watering hole. Service was so-so, food was horrible. I ordered the crab balls which tasted like they had been fried in year old oil. Very dry, I left most of them on the plate. The best part of the experience was the bread and butter at the table. I won't be back.
(2)Stephen L.
Standard menu for downtown nothing crazy, but they are good at it. They have a great bar and I love the hard wood bar and real nice pub feel they have going on. The happy hours are a great time to grab some mussels and a beer.I will say in terms of food the star here is the raw bar selection! Just bear in mind that if you are VERY picky about a bit of grit and beards on your clams or mussels you may find a few that don't meet your standards. That all being said, this is an Annapolis standard and, you can feel why when you get there. It's crowded for a reason!
(3)Julie C.
This place should be called Mc Garbage. Garbage food, garbage service, garbage atmosphere. I am furious. We waited almost an hour and a half for our food. Which NEVER CAME. When I asked our server to check on the status after seeing tables that were sat after us not only get their food, enjoy it and pay the check and leave.. He said that's what he was doing now. That's great. UPDATE ME ON WHY IM WAITING FOR OVER AN HOUR.. DONT STAND AT THE BAR AND TALK TO THE BARTENDER. While my server was "checking the status of my food" the table next to me that had just arrived and ordered 10-15 minutes ago, received their food. What made me even more upset was that their order was IDENTICAL TO OURS, with different side items. I was so upset that I walked right up to him and told him that I am assuming my appetizer was complimentary and that I'm leaving to go eat lunch somewhere else. His response "I wouldn't blame you" No apology, no explanation, no "I'll get my manager" NO SHITS GIVEN I would never come back here. And if the oysters I ate there didn't make me sick, I would stand in front of their doors all day and tell people not to go in. I'm not trying to go there, but I wonder if it's because they're racist. I mean, we were the only couple in the restaurant that didn't have blonde/brown hair just saying... I can't believe a place like this is still in business. What a disappointment and embarrassment to Annapolis.
(1)Emily L.
We came here late on a Sunday morning, to be honest, because the lines everywhere else were off-putting. In hindsight, that should have been a clue as to why there were no lines here! The interior is dim and grimy, with plastic tablecloths and faintly sticky wooden stools. Service was pretty slow and we had to keep a lookout for our waiter, who didn't check on us often, though he was friendly enough when he did. I ordered a crab cake, figuring it would be hard to get wrong in Annapolis, but it was disappointingly small (lost in the huge bun) and accompanied by lackluster lettuce and a pale, mealy tomato slice. Also, inexplicably, a slice of lemon: a wedge would have been nice, but you can't juice a slice without getting it everywhere, and I'm certainly not going to eat it on the sandwich! The cake itself was on the dry side and practically unseasoned. Once I flagged down the waiter and asked for some Old Bay, it was palatable. The coleslaw was overdressed and on the sweet side, but again, Old Bay came to the rescue. Only the lovely view of the harbor, and the even lovelier conversation and company (an old friend and a new one) saved the experience from one star. But I wouldn't go back.
(2)Ryan B.
Hip Hip Hurray for Happy Hour! First off, can we just all agree the back bar is one of the coolest spaces in Annapolis? Skylights provide real light to real trees and vines growing along belt operated fans that cool the bar and loft. History, drinkers! Then top shelf liquors for 5 bucks, and THE BEST spinach artichoke dip with steaming French Bread. Is that not exactly what I want at Happy Hour? It is, indeed. Keeping this on my Annapolis highlights list, gents.
(5)Kevin M.
Service was good but oysters tasted like they had been rinsed. The burger was average, the standard I would expect at a below average pub. The potatoes were soggy. Def not worth the money. Go to iron rooster next door!
(1)Victoria S.
I've been here a number of time to the bar but not for lunch. A group of us stopped in during our lunch hour on a VERY windy and cold day in Annapolis. I'm glad we went when we did (about 11:45) because when we left at 1 the place was PACKED. We sat in the back room. As usualy the place was drafty - old buildings so I'm used to it. We were greeted instantly and our waitress was very sweet. We ordered mussels for an appetizer and the chips. Those were great - thin potato rounds with just enough seasoning. The mussels were fantastic! My only annoyance with that was my coworker asked for bread to dip with them - and we had to pay for a loaf, seemed odd since everything on the menu comes with a huge chunk of bread. I supposed it's a better quality bread but wish we had known that before we ordered. Would have just waited. I had the spinach salad with the fish special Wahoo. It was great! The salad was a large size and came with craisins and mandarin oranges. All in all a great lunch experience.
(3)Kevin J.
This is why a restaurant dies. Too many years (40ish - guy named Mike A.) under the same ownership. Yes, the first thought would be, "they must be doing something right to be open so long." Or, the reality is- you are unwilling to change ANYTHING you have ALWAYS done. This place is exactly the same since I came here for the first time 15 years ago. To quote Dan Rather, "Americans will put up with anything provided it doesn't block traffic." I would agree with Mr. Rather, but just to add- Americans will also not put up with bad food!!! No matter how long the restaurant has been there. Martin (Affectionately known as "Beans") was my bartender. I came in for Happy Hour and had a drink, a cup of MD crab soup and a dozen steamed clams. The drink was fine. The soup was beef vegetable soup with bits of crab shell. Awful- fix it or take it off. This is Maryland for God's sake!! The clams were extremely gritty. This is a clear indication that the chef does not know how to allow the clams to spit. It just requires a little bit more labor, and patience. Hey Chef: put your clams in a water bath for about 20 minutes before expecting to serve them. Do you like chewing on sand? Neither do I. Service: Martin seems to care more about regulars than anything under the sun. Here's a tip, because I don't frequent your establishment every night, doesn't mean I deserve any less quality of service or hospitality. Overall: Not surprised!
(2)Tatjana M.
Every time we have been there, they have been consistently good.
(4)Jennifer F.
My first impression of this place was a great one! I loved the atmosphere! You have this very cool, divey-looking bar area when you walk in, and then it opens up into another dining area that, with the sun out, was super bright and gorgeous!! We were seated right away and our waiter was awesome! Very attentive, especially with the drinks. On to the food! basically everything was amazing!!
(4)Sarah H.
I love the feel of this bar. The food is well priced, and well portioned. I loved the crab cake sandwich with fries and ketchup. I think it's the perfect place to go with friends and share a beer with. Forever a fan!
(4)Elle Z.
Came memorial day/graduation weekend. Service was fine, fast paced and therefore not incredibly customer centered. Our group got a crab cake, its good. Fish and chips, "good but not like the nor' east fish and chips" (read: rhode island). Order extra tarter sauce w your meal. Crab cake sandwich, "id get it again, 3 stars" Grilled hot dog, kosher. Bun was grilled too. Really flavorful - best part of the meal. French fries are just sliced potatoes. Minimal salt, weird cooked texture. Cool to look at but id not ever order them again. Black beans and rice. Taste like liquid smoke. Chilli w/ cheese and onions. Doesnt taste like a canned chilli - sweeter and bbq'ish taste instead of the salty in most canned chilli. Not very beany. We ordered oysters. Nothing special. The house oysters were plain. Not salty. A bit gritty. No nasty flavors though. As someone who doesnt love oysters - i wouldnt order them again. But my husband says hed eat them again (he likes oysters).
(3)Miss R.
3.5 stars. This seems to be a spot where a lot of locals hang out. Our server was very good. I really appreciated how he tailored his service to each individual customer. The food was pretty good too, but I expected more seafood options on the menu (seeing as though we're right on the water. This is why I didn't give it 4 stars). I was hoping for a crab cake, or maybe even a good plate of fish and chips, but no luck. I saw a previous poster mention a crab pretzel. Didn't see that on the menu or I would've definitely ordered it. Instead I just got a burger, while my boyfriend ordered a Reuben. The burger was good, cooked just the way I wanted it. The "cottage fries" are really fried potato slices. I would've preferred an order of steak fries instead. The Reuben was definitely better. The corned beef was juicy and flavorful. Pretty good portion size, too. The old man next to us ordered a bowl of savory beef stroganoff and we could hardly focus on our own food because we were too busy eye-balling his! Clearly he knew something that we didn't. Don't know if I'd come back, since I usually come to Annapolis for seafood, but it was still a decent meal.
(3)Chris M.
This place is just close to the water that's really the only thing going for it. The food was ok just ok. Prices were ok as well. The service was pretty bad. And watch out he menu says they charge gratuity on checks for parties of 8 or more and we had 7 and it was included on the check. Our waiter kept telling us it was no longer happy hour like 5 times and we didn't even ask. We did have to ask for a drink menu and was never offered the drink menu. All in all this place is just for tourists that want to eat by the water. Don't waist your time.
(2)J M.
Went here on a Saturday afternoon, it's in a cool location right off the Main Street I believe. In terms of inside the place is not surprisingly rustic / nautical type of feel. The food was definitely good, but didn't blow me away. The crab dip was very good, but a word of caution to people is that it's quite heavy. So it's definitely not a light snack/app. In terms of my entree I had the soft shell crab platter, which was quite good. I love soft shell crab and try wherever possible to try it so while it was good, I've had better. Also our waitress was attentive to the borderline too much, but she was very nice.
(3)Mariacristina R.
Our table of four were truly divided in their opinion of this place. Some of us were in the This-place-is-really-shitty-but-the-crab-dip is-really-good Camp and some of us were in the This-place-is-just-shitty Camp. We picked this restaurant out of the many options nearby because it had the least crappiest rating according to my Yelp app. Apparently, there aren't a lot of great culinary choices on this side of town. The crab dip is great but I suspect that it's mostly because it has a sinful amount of cream cheese in it. That's fine - we polished off that bowl of dip in record time. My oysters were not very good, not properly shucked (every mouthful had a shard of shell), served at room temperature (almost lukewarm) and completely bland. They were edible but really disappointing. The crab cakes tasted stale and were ridiculously salty. I realize that Old Bay Seasoning is their bread and butter but this must have been some kind of joke gone awry. Our service was fine and the restaurant itself is pretty cute but our food was truly disappointing.
(2)Susan A.
Fabulous brunch menu. Delicious oysters. A go to for us. Ask for Eddie.
(5)Vincent R.
Food was pretty good and the service was excellent. However, as we left, we saw a mouse go running past the dinning room. "Eek! Methinks not."
(1)Kasia G.
About my third time here & I feel like every time I come they (the employees) think I'm underage & even after checking my license thru still eyeball me constantly making sure I'm not some type of narc! Or maybe I am? ;) But the food is always great! I chose the Mahi Mahi special for $15.99, which included a big portion of fish, quinoa, & grilled asparagus that went well with a cosmopolitan. Bedsides being glared at with eyes of disbelief this place is pretty good. The food is always on point & despite the popularity of this pub, I always luck out on getting close parking & find a seat within 10 minutes. Definitely come check this place out, fresh food & a nice atmosphere; parking kinda is hard to find however.
(3)Melissa W.
Torn between 2 & 3 stars, naturally. I really wanted to like this place. Went here on a gorgeous sunny day in April. It was around 80 degrees, so I snagged a table outside. It was craft beer week, so they had 3 different bottled beers for $2 a piece: Victory Swing Saison, Flying Dog Atlantic Lager, & a third I don't remember. Service was pretty good, consistent and noticed when my drinks were empty. But the food itself really wasn't anything special. I got the crab dip & Caesar salad. The dip didn't really have much crab in it. The Caesar was just plain bad. I don't know whether they had prepared it awhile before I received it, but the dressing was extremely liquidy and basically sat in a puddle under my salad. It was absolutely DRENCHED in parmesean cheese, and not even fresh. I would definitely come here again, but I'm not sure I would get food. Definitely for drinks. The interior looks pretty cool actually, one room has a tree growing in it!
(3)Jane C.
Bartender Wags is the best. He is very attentive and also has all the local scoop. Happy hour has the local colorful folks. Hope to see you there. Go Navy!
(5)Monica P.
My husband and I dined here twice now in a week. We were in the area for business and decided to check out McGarvey's. We like sitting at the bar so that we can chat with the bartenders and those sitting next to us. The place is cozy and quite lively during happy hour. Their happy hour prices are very good, including $5 apps. For me, I loved the $6/dozen raw oysters! They were excellent (both visits). On the first first visit I had their crab cake sandwich, which was good. My husband (both visits) ordered the Red beans and rice dish, which is a special on Mondays. Spicy and delicious. I had their burger with bacon and Roquefort cheese. Excellent burger. The side pasta salad was okay. Good service by the bartenders. And we got to meet some fun people on both visits. Overall, I think the oysters are the best around and the rest of the good okay to good. But we'll be back and will try other foods on the menu. Really, 3.5 stars for me, but Yelp doesn't do .5 increments.
(3)Jamie L.
One of my favorite bars to hit up when I'm in town! Good food and awesome bartenders (Beansie)!!
(5)Melissa S.
Awesome crab cakes. Potato chip cut fries. I ordered a Long Island and it wasn't very good but everything else was great!
(4)Christine L.
Appetizers for dinner with a side salad or cup of soup...more than plenty. Great people watching. Good iOS. Sit in side room. Aviator lager is delicious.
(5)Drew B.
Perhaps my favorite happy hour spot downtown, McGarvey's offers a good selection of drink and food specials to include $2 domestics and heaping plate of steamed muscles for $6 on Thurs evenings as well as an assortment of other good local appetizers to include oysters and crab pretzels for $5 to make a good feast out of. The service has always been consistently good and the overall attitude is relaxed and local. The decor is what you expect in a pub; low lighting, dark wood and a good solid bar all topped off with USAF fighter pilot helmets. Highly suggest for a chill happy hour out downtown.
(4)Elizabeth G.
Great place for steamed oysters, local news and excellent crab dip! Fun staff- thanks Eddies!!!!
(5)Buddy B.
Relaxing atmosphere and open space compared to a lot of restaurants and pubs in a historical district. The clam sandwich was tasty. The staff was attentive and friendly. The menu choices were plentiful with some variations to the usual seafood pub stuff but not overwhelming. Just a good solid choice. I would definitely go back.
(4)Joyce J.
I went there on Friday and Saturday night, full of people. Nice atmosphere and environment. I ran into a special person spiced up the night lol. Oyster shooter was worth trying, but happy hour is Monday- Friday.
(4)Jason J.
My wife and I were here on Labor Day weekend, the place was busy, I thought a good sign. We ordered the Cottage Fries and not being native to the USA I have long ago worked out the difference between chips and fries. However, the plate we were served before our entrees/mains was disgusting. Thick slices of chipped potatoes were dripping in olive oil and fried was just the term meaning brown, they were not crisp, they were soggy and uninspired. We returned the plate (no refund). My wife is allergic to gluten. Her specific request of no croutons was ignored and she received a swordfish salad with croutons, contaminating the entire meal. Hers was taken away and returned 5-7 minutes later sans croutons. In my meal I had avoided the "fries" and opted for coleslaw. I received more soggy oil swimming chipped slices of grey potato. I then was delivered a separate bowl of coleslaw. I was sure it came from KFC. Bland, chopped slaw with a store-brought dressing, sweet and sickly. My "sandwich" composed of 2 slices of plain toast bread from your local safeway, so laden with preservatives that when my swordfish's juices soaked through the bread became nearly impossible to cut apart. Pre-sliced and refrigerated tomato (opaque and furry) was stuck with a toothpick to the other slice of bread with a chuck of red onion, raw and seared on the outside. A small thimble of tartar sauce and that was the sandwich. The swordfish was good. My wife and I were disgusted. I expressed this to my waiter, the order mistakes, the poor quality of the food, far from restaurant fare, even casual restaurant fare. If you want value for money try elsewhere, if you want to get your money ripped off you and an apology for bad service and terrible food please by all means go to McGarvey's just remember to tip your displeasure, because they will charge you for every substandard morsel.
(1)Bea S.
Came here with my family for my brother's graduation from USNA after looking at the reviews and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We ordered A TON of food (oysters, happy hour appetizers - chili cheese kosher hot dog, BBQ pork shank, spinach artichoke dip, soft shell crab sandwich, lumpia, gumbo) and all of it was delicious. Yes, I did have a few pieces of shell in my oysters, but they were fresh and delectable (with plenty of horseradish, of course). The service was on point, especially for our large group, and the restaurant was not that busy at 6 in the evening. The only cons were parking was difficult (given it was downtown) and no military discount for being right near the base and having 6 out of the 8 people in the party either active duty or retired. Overall, it was delicious and if we were to visit Annapolis again, we would definitely go for a second time!
(4)Opal S.
Growing up in AA Co., I've eaten here many times. It's always been fine. My last time was a bit disappointing. I ordered the crab pretzel and a cup of clam chowder for a mid afternoon meal. The soup was good, but came without crackers. But what prompted me to write this is the crab pretzel was so skimpy on the crab mixture. I put more frosting on a chocolate cake than what they had on there. I've had crab pretzels at the old Calypso and Skipper's Pier in Deale, and they are LOADED with crab dip and cheese. For each bite, I ate only the top of the pretzel and left the bottom, restoring the crab/pretzel ratio to what it should be. This was a big disappointment.
(3)Melissa F.
Couldn't agree more with everyone else about the crab dip. It is amazing and probably the best I've ever eaten. Service was impeccable, even given it was the holiday weekend. I just wasn't overly impressed with my entree (crab cake sandwich). Overall, I'd probably come here again just solely for the crab dip.
(4)Diane V.
The atmosphere was really saloon style. The service was good and the oyster's were fabulous. The salad was average. Overall an ok experience. I would try somewhere else next time I am in town.
(3)Nicole F.
This is our HH bar. Food is solid, nothing fancy. Good brews here and a great spot. It's gets crowded and it gets loud up in here but its all in good fun. Bring your friends, not your dates...
(4)Bloss C.
So the other reviews here are kind of accurate about service being slow, and our waiter was a little condescending as well. Atmosphere wise it's definitely more bar than restaurant. To start we had an order of calamari which was advertised as 'lightly fried' and it delivered. This was definitely the star of the meal. Two people at my table ordered the clam chowder and said it was worst they had ever had, so definitely avoid that. I had the crab cake sandwich and it was pretty good. Not overly fried and good tartar sauce. 3 stars for my food but I have to subtract a star because of service (condescending attitude and I never got the drink I ordered), and the food was a little pricy ($17 for my sandwich). We were in Annapolis for the day and looking for an awesome seafood feast, but this wasn't it
(2)Rob B.
Well, considering we had to leave without being waited on the last time, it rated twice as good today. Lunch: I must say the steamed oyster were PERFECT! Often over steamed they were fully cooked and fully juicy. Our server Matalyn I think, was awesome. But every thing was ho hum from there. The clam chowder, cup, was milk and flour with touch of clam. The Artichoke and Chicken open face sandwich was oh so bland the salt and pepper could not even help it. The roast beef hash with poached egg sounded great but the deliciousness is only in the menu description. Basically, the hash was 2 pounds of unseasoned mashed potatoes studded with large chunks of overcooked under seasoned dry beef. Salt, pepper and ketchup could not make this one lunch. PS. $60 not cheap either. Two beers and a tea in that cost.
(2)Michael R.
We stopped in here on a party night for a drink and some music. The place was packed and we had a great time. They just needed more servers at the bar.
(4)Jenny T.
Eggs Benedict was not my favorite. Biscuit was slightly over toasted and not enough hollandaise. And they don't carry smoked salmon :( Their potatoes were awesome, though. I dipped them in the crab dip. OMG the crab dip. And OMG the just warm enough toasty crunchy bread. If not for the amazing dip and bread, I would not rate this place very high. It was quite delicious. Also got some oysters to go...after all, it is an oyster bar. I'm not a big oyster fan but they were pretty fresh. And the server hooked me up with tons of ice to keep the lil guess cold for the ride back. Not a fan of the picnic table checkered table cloths. Guess it gives the place character...but I would give this place +2 style points if they got rid of them...otherwise nice interior, friendly and quick service, not too pricy for what they serve.
(4)Amanda M.
The place doesn't look like much but the food is amazing! Get the Rockefeller oysters and try the chicken artichoke sandwich!! There is usually a good crowd with a live band. The place is near the water and some other places downtown.
(5)Stefanos R.
Incredible raw bar. Great clams, oysters. Lovely interior courtyard. Super fresh. Can't wait to come back!!!
(5)Catherine M.
Stopped by for a beer and some oysters and clams (which were great). Bartender was very welcoming and offered tastes of the tap beers before making our choices. Would definitely have considered eating here if time permitted!
(3)Robert K.
Had lunch today, fabulous as always. Server Jessica was prompt and courteous despite crowd. Crab soup is the best in Annapolis, even slightly better than Giollitti's which is near perfect. My Mahi mahi sandwich was great the duck my son had was a little too rare and not as tasty as advertised. Overall great,but typical, mcgarvey's experience. We'll be bAck,
(5)Jessica E.
We ordered the New England clam chowder which was a little flavorless and caesar salads which were okay. The dressing was very watery and it could have used a little more. Service was okay.
(2)Alana A.
Forget the oysters, mussels, crabcakes, and all that seafood nonsense.... the sourdough bread is what I'm coming back for!
(4)Lyssa V.
The prices were good- we had an appetizer and shared a bowl of oyster corn chowder. The appetizer was a steam platter of mussels, shrimp , and oysters. It was passable. The oyster corn chowder was filling and enjoyable- subtlety sweet and something else...but very enjoyable. The place was very old-timey. I enjoyed it.
(2)Maria Z.
I found myself in Annapolis waterfront two Saturdays ago. After profiling McGarvey's on Yelp I knew it was a place of choice for dinner, as we were craving seafood with scenic distraction. The weather was nice, and I wouldn't mind sitting on their patio and watching the boats dock at the marina. But, since there were only 3 small tables, all packed, we proceeded inside. The INTERIOR seems sorta dated, a typical saloon atmosphere which didn't bother so much, until a table next to us was occupied with drunk guys from a boating club. Instead we got people watching distraction. We ordered "Baker's Dozen" (13) fresh raw oysters, Chesapeake crab balls, Fish n Chips and House tossed salad. Oysters were chunky, fleshy and super fresh. Crab balls were generously stuffed with lump crab and Fish n Chips had fresh, flaky cod, nice chunky filet just lightly breaded and fried. Salad greens were crisp and very fresh too, believe me, I'm a picky salad eater. Everything absolutely delicious, as I savoured every forkful of my dinner. Even though the place was jam-packed with diners, service was prompt and efficient, food was at the peak of freshness and whole experience was pleasant!!
(5)Paul M.
It was incredibly busy so I'll give the chef the benefit of the doubt on my un-toasted BLT. Kudos to whomever thought to put fried lumpia on the app menu. The two delicious orders we devoured made up for the unfortunate BLT.
(3)Ellen L.
i stopped by for a late lunch on sunday with a group of 7, and fortunately, they had space for our party. as soon as they pushed 3 tables together, our party was all set. i ordered the half sandwich and soup combo for $8.99, which was a great price for what i got: *corn chowder with crab soup - rich and creamy, with lots of corn and pieces of crab *half turkey pastrami, ham, cheese sandwich - good portions of meat, decent sandwich hubby and i shared an order of mcgarvey's cottage fries ($3.99) which was a treat. the fries were cut in the shape of potato chips, then fried and salted. some fries were crispy (like potato chips), some were soft, all tasted great. these fries were definitely memorable, since i've never had fries shaped like potato chips. service was fairly prompt, which i'd have expected since it was pretty empty at that hour. our waiter was friendly and juggled our party's requests well. the location is great, just steps from main st, which was convenient for us since we had spent the afternoon shopping there. i would return and try some of their other seafood specials.
(4)Leah P.
I've come here since I was little. Their chicken fingers with ranch dipping sauce (something I would never usually order as an adult) are amazing. The ranch has stayed the same after all these years and it is so good! We still get them as an appetizer when we go. I love the atmosphere of this place, and we even drive from 2 hours away sometimes for special occasions! We eat there and walk around. Perfect location to walk to Naval Academy and the cute stores near city harbour. Very casual and relaxed, but can get very crazy at lunch time. It will always hold a special place in my heart!
(5)Joe K.
Went here Forth of July, eve. Service was below average, the back bartender wasn't expecting a sudden rush and seemed a little flustered and unprepared for the amount of people looking to get a drink from the bar. Over-all the bar is ok, there is a few draughts on tap, mostly all the beers are standard, and 3 taps are offered in the rear bar. There is a awesome tree in the building, though it is in the way of the walk way, it's unique and offers a different vibe than most bars in the area. You can't dance here, but you can relax throughout their multiple tables throughout the entire place. Bathrooms are awkwardly placed up-stairs; on a busy night it might be hard to navigate to them, but it's not too bad. Prices are on average for Annapolis. Most drinks are $7+ and beer is about $6.5 and up. Ok, place if the waiter wasn't sooo incompetent to the needs of the patrons, and it seriously shouldn't take 15 minutes to get a drink on any night, just saying. 2 stars.
(2)Elaine S.
Back for my oysters on the half shell! I'm also going to order the crab dip, a glass of Peter Lehmann Moscato and a grilled salmon salad. We got seated at a round top in the bar area and atrium. My favorite spot! Luv U McGarvey's! :-)
(5)Victoria W.
Missing the mark. With so many options in Annapolis, skip this one. I never review off one bad service experience, the service here, was horrendous though. I got a French dip (it was for lunch). The sandwich was okay. The fries were terrible. really soggy- not warm. The sandwich also was not warm..but the au jus wasn't bad. As for my friends- one got a Cobb salad that he enjoyed (if you absolutely must go here... Like you're out-voted by friends, etc, get a salad). My other friend got fettuccine Alfredo, for lunch, for 25 dollars!!!!!! What in the world! When he got his check we absolutely could not believe it. Everything on the lunch menu was 8-12 dollars... We assumed a lunch portion of... Pasta,.. At an Irish pub... Would be similar. 25 dollars is what you pay for homemade pasta in Ny. Not box pasta boiled with box/jar sauce in Annapolis Maryland! Goodness! I never complain about price (good quality food is worth paying for) but this was just ridiculous! I can not understand why this place is so busy?! I'll never be back.
(2)Geo K.
Racist. They seated 3 groups ahead of us. All different sizes, 2,3,7. I had waited 30 mkns while all these people were seated. I would not recommend this place for people of color.
(1)Alex E.
This place is ok for the most part... The crab dip was awesome and the crab cakes are decent but the only thing that REALLY PISSED ME OFF is that they charge 1.85$ for HALF A BREAD LOAF to finish off the rest of your crab dip. I mean that's really petty. One thing restaurants should not charge for is extra bread and this place does... What a joke
(2)Eric P.
Its was ok . The raw oysters were good but the rest of the food at the table was mediocre at best.
(3)Karen A.
We've had dinner here twice and it is a nice alternative in Annapolis. The biggest drawback for me was the noise level. The bar is very busy and loud. We have been seated in that room both times we were there. If you are just having a meal, I would request to be seated away from the bar. The appetizer crab dip is the best I've had. I also had the crab veggie soup which was lacking crab and the spinach salad. The salad was different than the usual spinach salad loaded with mandarine orange, walnuts and cranberries. My husband had a soft shell crab sandwich. The crab was good but the lettuce and tomato were tasteless so he removed them. There is quite a bit of seating so if you are searching for a place to eat and actually get seated quickly, I would go to McGarvey's.
(3)Valarie G.
Came for oysters on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The service was fine but the oysters weren't great. There are no decent beers on draft although the bottle list is okay. The wine list is also sub-par. Not an impressive establishment overall but not terrible.
(2)Nina U.
My weekend lunch here was remarkable. We had a little table past the bar against the wall and although I didn't have a view of the harbor, the neat stuff on the walls and enjoyable company made up for that. I had the best lunch. There was nothing left on my plate and that doesn't always happen when I go out to eat. Seriously. If you're not an oyster fan then order the chicken artichoke salad on a english muffin. It is toasted on open halves so the cheese melts over a slice of tomato. I thought the combination of flavors and textures were perfectly matched and the only thing I recommend is to ask for a steak knife because the butter knife could barely cut through the toasted english muffin bottom. I think I got a work out from sawing. The cole slaw I opted for instead of fries was good too. Service was great and our waiter kept checking on us. The wedding party who showed up and wanted a big table might have been disappointed - don't think they got a table for their huge group (in full on wedding dress and everything). I would have changed into a second dress for the party especially on a hot summer afternoon.
(4)brandi g.
We were out of place here. That was evident. Good characters here though. Guy in salmon colored pants and navy sweater and white polo shirt hanging out. Guy in kilt and full garb drinking at the bar. I felt like I was watching the inspiration for the Royal Tennebaums and Life Aquatic in real time. They were watching me as if we were some sort of variety show as well. Good times. Food was edible, but the servers were nice and very attentive. Bonus points for the server that brought the scrambled egg out instantly for my hungry baby and the nice fellow who brought endless coffees and milk. It was also cheap by our standards! Want good people watching? Come here!
(3)Sophia B.
Definitely one of my favorite places to be in Annapolis, and absolutely the only place to be Wednesday. Awesome meatloaf and big beers mean there's no reason to leave. Also the dollar oyster shooters at happy hour are pretty great
(5)Todd M.
I have been here several times for Oysters and crap dip. The food is always good. Recently I went here with my Groomsmen before my wedding on a Saturday during the Annapolis Boat show without an appointment, because i forgot. The staff was totally awesome. They set us in the back by the bar in a corner and allowed us to have beers and oysters while they got a table for us. It took about 15 minutes. The food and drinks were excellent. We had oysters, which are always great, crab pretzels, crab dip, crab balls, grilled chicken sandwich and oyster rockefeller. Everything was good, but i would skip the rockefeller and go for the raw. They have a great craft beer selection to chose from also which is a huge plus!
(5)Moose H.
The vegetable crab soup was great. The waiter was very friendly and service good. I liked how it had local crab and oysters. The oysters were great. The burgers are excellent.
(5)W H.
Excellent atmosphere and prices aren't bad. The raw oysters were fresh and delicious, and my uncle said the swordfish was one of the best pieces of fish he's ever had. Try the Aviator lager.
(4)Jen L.
Wow...service was horrible! Okay, so I know it was a Saturday night and it was really busy. But really? I guess since it is a downtown bar that caters mostly to tourists, they really don't expect people to return on a regular basis, so they might be able to get away with this. After being seated for about 20 min and we asked a waiter (who wasn't our waiter) if someone could take our orders and he had this "How DARE YOU!" look on his face and told us that he wasn't our waiter. Well, that's nice. But you work here, so one would think that he would let his fellow slacker co-worker know that he has customers. 10 min later, our waiter begrudgingly comes along and takes our order. Not impressed with this guys attitude either. The food was okay. I ordered the Oyster Rockefeller and Clams casino. It was good, but I think there was more cheese, breading and grease than oysters and clams.
(2)Jen K.
I'm glad I checked in here, because I'd forgotten the name of this place! A few friends and I ate here after taking a sailing class in Annapolis. I had the cajun tilapia* caeser salad without croutons. I thought it was delicious, and ate the whole thing. Service was good. Prices decent. Atmosphere was what you'd expect of a pub-type restaurant. I wouldn't make a special trip to Annapolis to go here or anything, but I'd probably return if I was already in the area and needed a meal. *Pretty sure it was tilapia...if not, some similar sort of white fish
(4)Tom G.
Eat crab balls, load up in the crab dip and wash It down with micro brew they have. This is the late night eat and feel damn good spot. Nice friendly staff that won't let you see the bottom of you glass.
(5)Magnus S.
I stopped in McGarveys Saloon for a beer on a Thursday night (approx 8pm), and the place was packed to the gills. There was a wait for a table in the dining room, but I was able to find a spot at the back bar. They were still offering drink specials, $1 off all "Craft Beers". I was pleased to see they had a nice selection of beers, and didn't group AB InBev drinks in their "Craft Beer" section (yes I'm talking about Ruby Tuesdays!). I had a Dogfish Head 60 Min IPA and a Guinness before hitting the road. Total cost for the 2 beers ran just about $10. Not too bad for a trendy beer in downtown Annapolis if you ask me. As the big draw for this place is the Oyster bar, and I did not partake in it, I need to point out that my review was SOLELY based upon the service/experience I received at the bar. While I was happy with the price, and the bartender was relatively quick to refill my glass, there was nothing that made this place stand out. Thus I can only rate this place as A-OK. Since I am not fan of Oysters, I'm not likely to make plans to return to this pub, although I wouldn't bypass it if I were in Annapolis looking for a beer.
(3)G W.
Service: 4 Food: 4 Value: 3 Menu: 4 Location: 4 Enjoyed a dozen oysters, a dozen steamed shrimp, and an order of cottage fries, washed down with two Aviator amber lagers. Oysters were good, shrimp was good, fries were not so good. Lager was ok, but unremarkable. Waitron did a good job, even though it was busy. Lots of locals here, not so much of a tourist trap like so many in Annapolis. Beer selection was weak. Four tables outside, they fill up quickly. I'd go back, but would avoid the fries and would see what they have in a bottle vice draft.
(4)Christopher S.
***/* 3.5 Stars. I took Rockstar to McGarvey's Thursday evening and we had a very good dining experience. They had a special on Mussels. $6 for a larger portion which we ordered for an appetizer. Service was very good and we proceeded to order the Gumbo special, BBQ Shrimp and a salad. The Gumbo was one of the best I have tasted and that includes many tastings in New Orleans. McGarvey's core business is being a "Bar". Overall I think you will find the food to be good and the quality might be determined by what night you are there. Vital Statistics: Watch for seafood specials. Mussels for $6, great deal and very well prepared in butter/wine sauce. They also have a list of special that are stopped at 7PM. The place is packed on Friday and Saturday and gets worse during the tourists season May-Oct.
(3)Geoff G.
My review is of McGarvey's as a bar... not a restaurant. This was my late night hangout on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday when I lived in Annapolis. The good ole days when Beans and Guido were both tending bar... Guido, may you R.I.P. I had a lot of fun times in this bar and would occasionally eat dinner here. The food is not spectacular, although the french fries are delicious. The crab dip is very good as well. I mainly come here for the drinks and the oysters..... and to shoot the breeze with Beans. They run an oyster special from January through tax day each year where you get a dozen oysters for $6..... it used to be $5 but is still a steal at $6. The special runs from 4pm-8pm Monday through Friday.
(4)Christine C.
If you are from out of town and looking for crabs.. DO NOT COME HERE. The place boasts a deceptively cool looking tavern interior where you might give in, it's definitely neat, but the FOOD is GROSS. Alert * This is a tourist trap. If you are into the Restaurant Depot supplied, microwaved, packaged + frozen [sea-] food.... TGIFridays kinda guy, then by all means..dive in! If you consider yourself to be a foodie (i know, you're not into labels), do not consume anything here aside from booze. Even the seafood platter was tasteless and inedible. Do not let "that girl" talk you into it because she's 'hungry' and lazy, seriously, just don't do it. You will be sorely disappointed.
(1)Daniel G.
Fish & chips, cottage fries, crab cake sandwich and clam chowder were all poor to just average. Not much in the way of flavor. Tasted like average bar food.
(2)Margaret G.
I wouldn't recommend this place if you expect attentive service or great food. The crab wasn't bad but the clam chowder was really disappointing.
(2)jeffery n.
Great bar - restaurant. The menu is perfect for the atmosphere. The house beer was very good, but the craft beers were great. Love seeing the Bayhawks helmets hanging above the bar!
(5)Beatriz B.
Picked this place randomly for a quick snack in Annapolis and I was pleasantly surprised! We had their oysters and fried calamari and both were really good. I particularly liked the fried calamari because it wasn't a plate filled with little pieces of fried bread crumbs instead of calamari, as it usually tends to happen. Definitely recommend.
(4)Jon P.
Very nice bar with good apps and fresh shucked oysters ($10 a dozen) located down near the water and other establishments. So real easy to walk to from your hotel and stumble home. The martinis were good and overall pretty cheap. Just another cool place in annapolis.
(4)Christine C.
It's ok. I like the ambiance inside but the service is never great. When you open the entrance door you are immediately in the bar area. There is bar seating and some tables off to the side and in the back. Then there is a second room with another bar and a tree growing in it and an upstairs. I think the room off to the side is nice which I liked and we have sat at both times. It always seems busy and the thing I really really dont like is they charge you for the bread and butter (like $3). I got some nachos but the toppings all came in a second bowl all jumbled up - no likey. Everyone else's food seemed ok (wings, chicken salad sandwich, bar food). Nothing fantastic from what we ordered. My gal pal got pretty sick from the food and I didn't bother ordering something else because I just was not overly impressed.
(3)Garrett N.
I've been an Annapolis local now my entire life. as far as crab dip goes, this is the best that you find find anywhere, even better when you can catch it on the 5 dollar happy hour menu. This place is our home when all of our friends come home on college breaks. The oyster happy hour special is the best you can find in town and the oysters are top notch. I highly recommend.
(5)JJ M.
We hit McGarvey's on a Wednesday afternoon about 4 (business meeting of course). We had a a couple of Guinness and a couple of half n half made with the house special brew, Aviator. The bar keep was ok friendly, and he changed shifts while we sat. Nobody else really acknowledged us even thought it was a quiet afternoon.There were happy hour price breaks on a limited selection of beers and drinks. The crowd seemed like a couple of local, long time customers sprinkled amidst the tourists and business meeting attendees. This was the first of several stops that evening, and honestly, I wish I had eaten there. The food looked and smelled really good and the people were digging it. The steamed shrimp, fries, wings and oysters all made an impression as they slid passed. I'll definitely stop back. We did not eat and I wish we had. We did not make a connection with the staff. There was a construction project underway that sapped the ambiance. It rained - a remarkable drenching out of nowhere rain.
(2)Lindsay W.
Like everyone else has said, order the crab dip. You won't regret it. The interior was fun - I liked the sky-light and other elements that brought the outdoors in. It was packed, but service was still good and the waitress was sweet.
(5)John K.
Had dinner here last weekend. Sat at one of the outside tables. Server was new and got zero support from the rest of the staff. In fact a busboy was slamming her to some of the customers. Food was mediocre...basic crab cake, nothing special. Used to be a real destination. Won't be going back any time soon.
(1)Mike D.
From out of town, stopped here for lunch....service was excellent...hamburger was good but those French fries, ugh...cross between a chip and a fry and they did justice to either...kill these as they were soggy and tasteless. Wife had the beef hash plate...another blah dish. Come on Annapolis, stop with the tourist food...
(2)Ashley G.
If I could give 10 stars, I would! McGarvey's is the first place we visit when my husband and I go home to Annapolis. It's been a favorite of ours since he was at the Academy. We love the beer (Aviator), the wings, and the crab dip!! When we went out with friends to celebrate our engagement, you bet we went to McGarvey's! We'll really miss Guido, he was and will forever be the best bartender! McGarvey's is the place to go in Annapolis if you want good beer and food. Sure it may get "loud" in there late at night, but if we wanted to sit down to a quiet dinner then we would stay home. You can't go wrong with McGarvey's!
(5)Ben G.
I've been away from Annapolis for a few years now and I'll admit this one of the top 5 things I'm looking forward to when I get back. If you're looking for a quiet, peaceful place to wine and dine on a 5 star meal, go to Maria's or Aqua Terra or the Charthouse. This place is a BAR. They happen to serve pretty good bar food, to include the best crab dip in ANNAPOLIS. No big deal, just the sailing/crab capital of the U.S., maybe the world. The vibe is great, it's a Naval Aviator bar, and you'll see all the flight helmets, that dozens of salty pilots have donated, displayed above the bar. Also, they have a great microbrew called "Aviator" to which I still compare every beer I drink. The place really picks up on the weekends, especially after a big Navy sporting event, tons of alumni and Midshipmen are not uncommon. By far my favorite place to relax and have a beer in Annapolis This review is also dedicated to long time McGarvey's bartender and neighbor Chris "Guido" Whitesel who passed away this year after a painful struggle with cancer.
(5)Guzal L.
Great place. Fantastic Food. The oysters are the best I have ever had. Good friendly service too. Everything that we ordered was absolutely delicious.
(5)Young K.
This place was overall good. The half shell oysters were amazing and fresh. The starter, the crab dip was amazing, and did not full me up tot he point where I couldn't eat my main course . The service was also good, and the food was always delivered with a smile. Overall I was satisfied with everything , I recommend this to anyone who is stopping by.
(4)Seth M.
I came here a while ago, and I found the food to be okay, the service to be almost non-existent, and the atmosphere to be nearly loud and raucous. We came around 6 pm, and the bar was full of loud, drunk people with the wait staff almost nowhere to be found. The food was neither good nor bad in my book. With so many good options near Ego Alley, I doubt I'll give this place another shot.
(2)Kevin J.
Never had a bad meal here and tonight definitely didn't disappoint. Can't wait to come back again sometime. Service was impeccable and the food was amazing...don't know what happened to the picture I took but when I get it I'll post it, crabcake sandwich meal...wish I had gotten a pic of the crab dip but we destroyed it before I thought about it.
(5)Megan G.
My family and I went here for a light lunch Sunday afternoon. Our service was very friendly and attentive; however, the food was hit and miss. We ordered clams from the raw bar menu, which were very good (tasted very clean and fresh as they should, and as you would expect from a seafood town), and the grilled mahi sandwhich I ordered off the specials menu was very good as well. The rest of the table tried the various soups, which received less than enthusiastic feedback, and my mom tried the chilli, which she barely touched because it consisted almost entirely of tomatoes (so much so that she questioned whether there was anything else in the bowl). If I were to come back, it would probably only be to have oysters or clams with some beers, rather than a full sitdown meal.
(2)Rebecca S.
Oh Downtown Annapolis on a Friday night, I can't say I've really missed you. McGarvey's is one of the few places that's still the same since I was in school down the street, and its my grandfather's favorite place to go for oysters, which boyfriend really wanted. So with those two points in mind, we headed over for dinner during my reunion this weekend. It was LOUD. And crowded. And the service was meh. The food was good, but the portions were a little small. Boyfriend got his aforementioned oysters and Dogfish Punkin Ale on special. Friend had the fish and chips, and it might have been the smallest portion of fish and chips I've ever seen. I had a special, the trout imperial (crab-stuffed trout), and there were no vegetable options other than asparagus, which I don't like, but there were only 3 tiny pieces of it anyway. Prices were a little steep, but about average for DTA. We were seated in the bar area, which may have been why our server seemed a little frazzled. Nothing glaring, just little things like forgetting the water, or only bringing one of the checks for our split check table. The noise level wouldn't be any different at any of the other places in the area, so I won't knock them for that. All in all, not bad, but the oysters were probably the best thing we ended up with.
(3)Robin K.
Have been going here since my Academy days. Best crab dip in town. It is nice to see that it has survived while some of the others have not. Love this place and is a must eat when shopping on Main Street...
(4)Casandra M.
When my husband and I walked in this summer, we noticed McGarvey's had an odd smell, kind of like a cross between a horse barn and a locker room. We should have left right then and there, but we were hot, sweaty and starving so we stayed. Ordered a half-dozen oysters to start. They were ok. Nothing to write home about, but not bad. I ordered the seafood salad sandwich. Big chunks of shrimp, scallops, etc. But aside from the huge glops of mayo, there was nothing else to it. It was remarkably bland. The pasta salad on the side was the best part of my meal, and an excellent recommendation from our waiter. My husband's soft shell crab sandwich was embarrassing. Undercooked, under-seasoned and tasted old. He took two bites, pushed it aside and proceeded to get sick for the rest of the afternoon. Avoid.
(1)Antonio M.
I can sum up our visit to McGarvey's with the following phrase: "Ewww...no" We headed to McGarvey's at the recommendation of a shuttle driver. When my wife asked him, "What's your favorite restaurant in downtown Annapolis," he responded with "McGarvey's! Their food is good and they have the best crab dip." With such a boisterous endorsement by this post college aged kid, we decided to head over to McGarvey's after first meeting up with Steve L and his Uber-cool fiance. The exterior of McGarvey's looked like a small Irish bar which seemed equally small after walking inside. The hostess that greeted us was kind and funny and soon instructed another waitress to show us to our table. We passed by the main bar area (which was full) to a larger more open area that surprised us. The area was beautifully open and had that historically old feel with plenty of light and lots of character. Everywhere you looked there was wood panels and sea themed decorations adding to the character. The dining area had a surprisingly open and airy feel that reminded you how large this space off of the main bar/entrance area. From the outside, you would never have imagine that McGarvey's was so large on the inside. The wife ordered a soft shell crab sandwich and I ordered some chicken fingers for the boys as they were ravenous after our long trip to Annapolis. The waitress never cracked a smile and appeared to be "annoyed" at our party of 4 silly adults and 2 kids sitting at one of her tables. I don't expect servers to entertain us or kiss our butts, but there was an an air about her that just seemed to say, "I'm annoyed..." The food and drinks arrived and here's what we got. One tiny softshell crab that was barely the size of the potato bun upon which it was served. The home made chips were tasty, but the main part of the wife's dish was too tiny....I would call it a soft shell crab slider. The boys' chicken tenders were HUGE. The plate consisted of three large pieces of battered chicken breasts, which were on the plate sans side items...no fries, no side items, nothing, nada...zip. The batter was a bit peppery and waaaay too thick. The thin piece of chicken was drowned in batter and the boys dug through the batter to get at the chicken. One of our boys dove into his chicken tender throwing all caution to the wind and yelling "hot hot hot Daddy" as he ate his still hot pieces of battered chicken. I ate one of the large pieces of chicken and thought that it was okay, but definitely had too much pepper and way too thick batter. Whenever the waitress came over, she still seemed annoyed and shot us glances that seemed to say, "I can't wait until you breeders and your kids leave." We didn't feel welcome and Steve L even commented on the waitress' demeanor and unfriendly attitude. Steve L also wasn't too thrilled with his rum and coke commenting that it had a weird taste that was neither rum nor cola. I wasn't feeling the food, and despite the cool decor and feel of the place the service wasn't great. It was just an okay 2.5 star food experience that last a half star by the cold waitress. I was glad I didn't order any food and saved my appetite for something better. McGarvey's didn't wow me and I just can't motivate myself to ever return when there are other restaurants in the area that I'd rather support.
(2)Christopher F.
Stopped after a tour of the Naval Academy. Maryland crab cakes, oysters on the shell enough said. Place is crazy packed and seating seems to be every man for himself but the service was ok for being so packed. Love their crab dip, fresh oysters, baked oysters, and crab cakes were all wonderful. They have some micro brews that were good as well all in all a nice selection in competitive crab cake market of Maryland!!
(4)Dave M.
If the most trusted man in America loved it, that's good enough for me! This is a classic American tavern in every sense of the word. The service was outstanding at the bar (I did not eat there, but the food looked great) and the drinks were perfect.
(5)Susannah O.
I was delighted to find that their kitchen is open until 1am on sundays. They provided us with some chili cheese dogs and a bratwurst the "cottage fries" are thick cut fried potato chips, very tasty. The chili was assembled of tinned components and could have used some salt, thus the 4 stars. Service was courteous and prompt and I would recommend them for late night munchies.
(4)Chris C.
Hands down my favorite place for Happy Hour in DTA. I think it was only my second or third time there, and I decided to venture over to the back bar area and see if it was any different from the front. I must say, I did enjoy the back area much, much more. It was that visit to McGarvey's that I first met my most favorite favorite bartender in the area, Corrine. She made me feel right at home, was very friendly, answered a lot of questions regarding the local area, nightlife and such. She even ended up buying me a delicious honeydew birthday shot to do with her and her friends. I highly encourage anyone trying out McGarvey's to wander into the back area and try catching Corrine at work. Be sure to tip her well! Anyway, while there is a set Happy Hour menu, some of the items change according to which day of the week it is. They usually have some sort of shellfish special for around $5 or $6, and the crab dib is a pretty awesome deal for the portion-size you get. The drink specials are nice as well, as I do enjoy my cheap Ginatonics. The food, in general, is done well. It's a great place to grab some seafood, and their selection during Mardis Gras was top-notch. As far as the night scene goes, they tend to have amazing drink specials and frequently host various themed events. McGarvey's is also the only bar in that little corner that never charges cover.
(5)David P.
moving reviews over to this account. Monday nights - happy hour with $5 martinis, wonderful oysters and gumbo. Perfectly chilled, freshly shucked and with an excellent roux. I'm not sure why there are so many gripes - we went there to celebrate and had a blast. The waiter was great, the bar especially was jammed but it's traditional there, especially in down by the city pier. Parking is horrible and there's damned little room outside. Oh, and the bathrooms are upstairs. It's Annapolis - you expected differently? Go and enjoy happy hour along with a large percentage of the Academy.
(4)Dmytro A.
BEST CRAB DIP IN ANNAPOLIS!!! It really is the best crap dip in Annapolis. I also highly enjoy the Surf & Turf with a pint of Guinness. The Turf is always cooked perfectly to order, and the Surf is a heavenly cake of crab that beckons and lures me from my current perch halfway around the world. Plus, the barkeep (the one who looks like Wilford Brimley, or a walrus) REALLY knows how to pour! If you're part of this mixology trendiness, you will enjoy the classic, expert knowledge of the Brimley Barkeeper. Come here for a lunch for soup or sandwich, after work (or sailing) for an expertly poured drink, dinner for Surf & Turf, or late to meet a pretty, young thing. In short, McGarvey's can satisfy damn near all your needs of the day.
(5)Rodge B.
Stopped in here for a few hours after a wedding rehearsal and had a blast. It wasn't too crowded when we got there, however, it was starting to fill up right before we left. Pretty standard fare as far as appetizers go, but the wings stood out. Beers were cheap and service was good although we helped the waitress out by ordering so many at a time and ordering from the bar as well.
(4)Ali P.
After reading all the negative reviews I had to look at the uploaded pictures to make sure I was going to review the right place before writing. I just can't believe there are so many bad reviews of this place! Okay, so I don't know why, but I really liked my food here, had no problem with the crowd, and found the staff to be attentive and friendly. I did come in the evening during the week, but the place was still packed, people always asked how we were doing, and the food was really, really, really good. We basically got crab everything- crab balls, crab dip, and crab sandwich. Oh, and a few wines and beers. Everything was absolutely delicious! We were very hungry before going in, but let me tell you, we ordered a ton of food and ate every bite 'til the plates were clean. Plus, with their happy hour prices, we didn't hurt our pockets, either. I would love to try crab at other restaurants in Annapolis, but if I am looking for somewhere familiar, I'd have no problem returning here. In fact, I'd come back just for their crab dip, which is among the best I've ever had.
(4)Dianne W.
This establishment needs to do better. Had to send fish back that was served severely undercooked, raw at the bottom. I didn't know that I had chosen a sushi bar that night. At least an apology from management would have been appropriate but nothing. There are too many other places to give a chance to. McGarvey's needs to work harder for their customers and stop resting on their reputation.
(2)Danielle S.
Sunday brunch was great! Best bloody Mary ever! And $2 before noon!!!! The only downfall was the homemade potato chips they served with their brunch selections. They left a lot to be desired and left me pining for hash browns!!!
(3)Emily G.
My grandmother was the 1922 Color Girl, and my brother graduated from the Academy in 1990 going on to become a pilot. I then dated a sailor (my first love) from Annapolis. McGarvey's has a special place in my heart! Of course the foods is good - especially the mussels, but it is more . . . it's how the walls speak. All the memories, stories, and tragedies (I broke up with that first love in the back corner of the restaurant in 1996). Today, I brought my family in at lunchtime. A more beautiful Sunday there was not ~ although at the peak of tourist season, getting a table is a rough commodity. Not only did I have a baby in a stroller, but an ornery 3 year old toddler, Eddie, a server quickly seated us at a 4 top in front. After rushing the 3 year old to "the potty," I returned to the table with an ice cold Aviator waiting for me. It was not our day, after the wheels fell of the entire family, we quickly asked for our check. Eddie stepped up, sensing the chaos, and said the beer was on McGarvey's. My beloved brother passed away a few years ago - it was as if he sent the Aviator. Thank you Eddie, and thank you Wall's of McGarvey's :)
(5)Bryan L.
My son, father-in-law and I stopped in here after a tour of the Naval Academy (only a block away). The admissions guy recommended it (and the crab dip). It was a beautiful day, but the outside seating was full, so we opted for an inside table. Service was adequate. We had a couple Aviators and my son had their bottled root beer. Not bad, but I am not a big lager guy. I had a dozen oysters, my father-in-law a few dozen steamed clams and my son the "famous" crab dip. The oysters were fine, nothing special, but by no means bad. I sampled the crab dip from my son and it was really good. They are certainly generous with the bread, giving you two hot loaves to dip with it. Above average bar/pub. The dip does give it a little extra something.
(4)John M.
Great location in historic Annapolis. Unfortunately the food didn't match up with expectation. So-so.
(2)Dave P.
A favorite stop of mine when I'm in town. Seems to be a local hangout. Food is decent and the crowd is generally fun. One night I got roped into a conversation at the bar with a Lt. Colonel, a retired Rear Admiral, and an ex Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. You cant even make that shit up! Prices are good and everything I've had to eat has met or exceeded my expectations. Nuff said.
(4)Bryan R.
AWESOME Dinner after an awesome day in Annapolis! Great Happy Hour specials. They let me order Happy Hour specials at our dinner table. Incredible muscles and oysters. Dinner was fantastic!!! Service was super! I will be back!
(5)Linda W.
We had the crab dip, which was good and comes with 2 mini loves of bread, so plenty of bread to go with the dip. I wasn't impressed by my cup of New England clam chowder, but my chicken Caesar salad was okay. B. really liked his burger and fries. The fries were disks of thin sliced potato like a cross between chips and fries. And they know how to make a Dark & Stormy for those with a hankering for the Bermuda drink.
(3)James B.
Best bar in Annapolis. Reasons why... 1) Best bar food in town, order the nachos or the wings and try not to smile 2) Always have awesome specials whether it be a sandwich or a 3 course meal 3) hats off to whoever works the juke box at night 4) Happy hour deals that can't be beat, everyday 5) the owner is ex-Navy and a good guy. Don't know how this place only has 3 stars, should have 4 at the minimum.
(5)Marcus D.
I suppose if you are a lacrosse junkie you will be into this place, what with the helmets, masks and sticks adorning the walls and high shelves, otherwise it's alright for a beer and a dozen oysters.
(3)Sarita L.
We did not have the opportunity to sample the food at McGarveys today. The service was so poor we didn't order anything after our drinks finally arrived. After sitting at the table we were shown to for at least 10 minutes before any type or style of wait staff acknowledged our presence, the server said he'd be with us in a minute as he headed out the door to serve one of his many tables there, I asked the person who had seated us if we could get 4 waters in the meantime. He told me our server would be with us in a moment, as if it was beneath his station to bring water to a table. The waiter then came in, rushing to the back and asked the bus boy to bring us water. That was the last we saw of him. A second waiter arrived, saying he was going to help us out. When one of us ordered rail vodka, he said, "oh, the cheap stuff." She replied, "no, the rail brand." PS: the water was still MIA. Same waiter brings water eventually and says he's lost his pad with our drink orders so we tell him again. Drinks finally arrive. By now we've decided to cut our losses, so we paid the bill and left. On the way out, I attempted to tell the young woman who replaced the guy who originally seated us about our poor experience. She thought I was telling a funny story. Even giving them credit for a busy Sunday, poor service was inexcusable. Never going back there ever.
(1)Jonathan G.
Don't bother with the food - it's merely average. The strength of McGarvey's is their high-end beer selection. Their in-house lager (called 'Aviator') is a fine, high-quality beer. They serve a very wide selection of beers with high volumes of alcohol, microbrews, imports, oversized bottles, and so forth. There are enough places nearby for food that you can eat before or after McGarvey's - but certainly stop in for a drink.
(3)Molly B.
$5 for a chili bowl and beer? Amazing! I went on a day trip to Annapolis today and went to McGarvey's for lunch. The staff was polite, we got our orders quickly, the food was good, and the prices were low. After spending a week in Paris over spring break this year, I wasn't sure if I would be impressed by a baguette again. But sure enough, the French sourdough here could not have been baked more perfectly: lightly crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. As for my main meal, while the chili and beer deal only offers Bud Light, for $5 I really can't complain too much. Since I was only there for lunch I can't comment on the bar or evening atmosphere, but I would definitely recommend McGarvey's for anyone hitting up in Annapolis for the afternoon. 3.5 stars.
(4)Dave K.
I love that other review: "Everyone...likes to go there and get wasted..." "It's too loud..." "you can't hear a damn thing" "too crowded to move" "forget trying to get a drink" That sounds like a normal, popular bar. I piled into this place 40 strong, a wedding crowd; the kind of crowd that is loud, proud, and mostly getting wasted and acting like morons. I liked the tree growing out of the floor in the middle of the place. I liked the cocktails served in funny little glasses with stems. I like the stairway to nowhere. This is a popular bar. It is going to be loud and crowded, and unless you are flashing some cleavage or a Benjamin, it might be hard to get a drink. I may thrive on volume - but if you are going to berate a bar for being loud and crowded, go drink at home. Auf.
(4)David P.
first time there, went around 6:00 pm on a Thursday night. Decent crowd, not too crowded, we were able to get a table immediately. Service was prompt and good all evening. Happy Hour and dinner specials were really amazing. A dozen oysters on the half shell for $6 and $5 martinis (even with Grey Goose, etc.). Oysters were fantastic by the way - freshly shucked, tender and straight to the table perfectly chilled. Served with plenty of lemon wedges, horseradish and cocktail sauce. The main course was the house gumbo - absolutely loaded with shrimp, chicken and sausage with okra served over a mound of steamed rice. The roux was perfect although the overall effect was a little bland. Some jalapeno hot sauce helped significantly. Huge portion - my only gripe was it could have used a little more in the veggie department. Pricing very reasonable considering the quality and quantity of what you were served. Downtown on the square near the city pier, the atmosphere and location are great. Good luck finding someplace to park but hey, that's par for the course in Annapolis. Loved it, definitely going back.
(4)S P.
Steamed seafood is ok. Some Mussels retained their beards. Sloppy. Crab dip is effectively just cream cheese, no tangible nor visible crab. Clam chowder passable. Tasted like Progresso.
(2)Vimal M.
Great ambiance and excellent food. A must try in Annapolis. The crab cake sandwich & Hanger stake is great.
(4)Matt C.
A lot of potential but too much like a hallway! They need to get the tables out of the front bar and make the back bar more of a dining area, and I use the term "back bar" very loosely, it seems like unless you are a personal friend of the bartender back there you wont ever see a drink. Still can not figure out the appeal, but I do admit it does fill up, typically with a bunch of younger kids in their early twenties.
(2)B K.
I first ate here almost a year ago, and had the worst meal I've ever been served in a restaurant. I ordered mussels and fries, which is one of my favorite meals and always a winner, it's easy to make. I've never had a bad experience with it, except for this restaurant. The mussels were supposed to be in a white wine sauce, but as far as I can tell they had actually been steamed with Old Bay as if they were crabs. FYI: this is not a good idea, and there is a reason that people do not do this. I am an easygoing person who never complains in restaurants, but I was genuinely confused and asked the waiter if I had received the correct dish, or if maybe they had used the wrong sauce. He brought me a huge bowl of the same sauce I already had, which was basically water with Old Bay in it. WTF? Also, what am I going to do with a giant bowl of the stuff? Drink it? In retrospect, maybe I should have asked for melted butter (no, I should have asked for white wine and garlic, which is what I ordered). The mussels were also small and gritty, lots of broken shells, obviously of low quality. Anyway, I'm a person who always cleans my plate, and mussels are one of my favorite foods, but I just could not finish those mussels. They were just gross. I didn't even like the fries - they're like really fat potato chips, meaning that they lack the desirable qualities of either potato chips or fries. And I always like fried potatoes. More recently, some colleagues from work scheduled a dinner in Annapolis and at the last minute changed the venue to McGarveys. I was really disappointed, but figured this would be a chance to give it another try. My second meal was not quite as bad (nothing could be that bad), but still quite disappointing. I ordered cajun catfish. It was deep fried but had no seasoning whatsoever, accompanied with three wimpy, tasteless asparagus fronds, and a mild tomato sauce. I couldn't really detect anything cajun about it. Honestly, eating at this place reminds me of eating at cheap "seafood" restaurants in the rural midwest, i.e. nowhere near the ocean. It is embarrassing that it's serving this stuff in the heart of Annapolis. The service was pretty bad, too, despite it being a slow Monday - I was supposed to get dessert with my 3-course dinner, but they never brought the dessert. I finally asked for it when they brought the check! They brought it for me to go, no apology. Also, the check said "Gratuity Not Included" in big letters on the bottom - but the gratuity WAS included. Good that someone in our party noticed this, because the waiter definitely did not deserve an extra $30. There are so many good restaurants and bars in Annapolis, please don't waste your time and money here!
(1)Aboud Y.
Hmmm. Maybe I was hungry but I thought the oysters were just fine.
(3)Bernadette N.
Their wings don't suck either.
(3)ed c.
As tourists in town, we were reco'd here by a staffer in the Visitor Center, upon my query as to where to get soft shell crabs. Read some negative reviews on Yelp, but decided to try anyway. Got there 8 pm on a Wed., to the point: service, value, and quality of the SS crab sandwiches we had were all 4 star. $11.95, the nicely fried crab filled the toasted bread. Didn't have any alcohol, so this review is only for the food. Cheers, edq
(4)Jennifer L.
The outside is deceiving - simple pub fare without the high prices. We walked up to it wondering how pricey it'd be since it was right in the historic district. We went with a group of 7 and walked out spending less than $100, and everyone was happy with what they got. The chairs are a little uncomfortable but its not a big deal. Everything was tasty, the service was average but overall, Im a fan and would happily go back anytime.
(4)Robert S.
I'm surprised so many others have not had a good experience with this place, as I generally always have a good time. If it's late and you are looking for a quiet, civilized bar in Annapolis, then you won't like this. It can get crowded and rowdy and all that, but there are those of us out there that don't mind that in a bar. The food I've had there has been pretty good, but if you are looking for fantastic seafood, there are other places in the area. In my experience, their oysters are great, mussels are OK. Beer selection is ok. I generally have their house Aviator beer which I find to be pretty solid. We hit this place as a solid go-to spot late at night in downtown Annapolis, and I haven't really been there in the daytime. The times I've gotten a table, even when it is pretty crowded, I got waited on, and the staff has always been attentive and friendly. So as always your mileage may vary, but be aware that as with a lot of places in the vicinity, the character changes drastically for night time.
(3)Jill H.
My boyfriend and I frequently visit Annapolis and normally we go to the marketplace in the middle of the scene and get some pizza but since they closed down, we've had to venture elsewhere. I chose to go to this place because there was outside seating and I was in the mood for oysters. They were fine... not as big as the place right next door I think... but still good. However, what we didn't like was the service. It took forever for the guy to check on us. Once we had our food and finished we waited like 20 minutes. It was a prime opportunity to dine and dash... but we didn't. I'll try somewhere else next time.
(1)John M.
If you happen to find yourself stuck in Annapolis on a thursday, be sure to pay a visit to McGarvey's. Thursday at happy hour is a shellfish lovers paradise--A huge platter of mussels (I'm talking 40 or so per plate) will only set you back $4. A dozen oysters is only $5. I can't even buy oysters for less than $0.75 in California, let alone have them shucked and served for less than $0.50 a pop. So naturally, we ordered two platters of oysters and three of mussels for six people. And wanted more. But we still had to order dinner and a second round of beer. Speaking of beer--beer lovers rejoice. The Aviator amber lager is arguably one of the best lagers I've ever had. Unfortunately for me, I'll probably never get to try it again; the beer is exclusive to McGarvey's and brewed at a microbrewery just 70 miles south. The only thing preventing me from ordering three rounds was that massive amount of shellfish I had just eaten. McGarvey's makes up for the rock bottom happy hour specials by charging unheard-of prices for their entrees. The crab cakes were authentic, but a little pricey ($25). I'd rather have a crab. I'm glad I didn't order them. The roast beef hash, on the other hand, was a great value. The dish was elegantly presented and fried perfectly. Make sure to ask for the side of horseradish cream, which goes well with roast beef and potato pie.
(4)Tom H.
Had the fish and chips. OK, not great. had steamed clams (good), clam chowder (really good) , and fish and chips (OK). Middle of the road, good not great. a little pricey. this lunch costs me around 40 bucks.
(2)Dirty T.
I'm mainly reviewing the bar here as I haven't eaten much food there (the calamari is pretty good, as are the oysters). The beer selection is typical and crappy. The place gets absolutely PACKED and uncomfortable. If you find a table near the front bar, you'll get trampled the whole time. Getting a seat near the stairs or in the very back corner of the back room is the best way to go. The crowd is a mixture of new college/post-college drinkers, old men hitting on young girls and the ever present self-important post-yuppie people in pastel colored clothing that you could only get away with in Annapolis (think 80's teen movie villains with sweaters around their necks). A couple of the bartenders are nice guys who pour good drinks, but it's a bit on the pricey side. This bar has character, but it's a bad character and I never have a good time.
(2)Ing A.
Extremely Rude Staff.
(1)Dan W.
I'm a little surprised at the bad reviews. This is a pub, not fine dining. Eat pub food, and you won't be disappointed. The wings are fantastic - I think the best in Annapolis. The French dip is very good, as are the crab balls and crab dip. Stick to those 4 items, and a nice beer or six, and you will walk away happy.
(4)Merrill F.
McGarvey's sucks. Everyone who just turned 21 likes to go there and get wasted and act like morons. It's too loud to hear anything anyone is saying, so even though you run into 100 of your closest friends from grade school, you can't hear a damn thing they're saying anyway. It's too crowded to move, so the friends you do want to go try to talk to, you can't get to. And forget trying to get a drink---the bar is 5 deep on a good night, and nobody in there is going to give up their spot to let you in. The bartenders know there are a million more right behind you, and are often very rude. This is likely as a result of them being ridiculously overworked and understaffed, but still. It smells like BO and cigarette smoke and stale beer, as a result...well, of the BO, cigarette smoke, and stale beer. You'll want to bathe in bleach after leaving. Tuesday nights they do "Tiki Tuesdays", which everyone seems to love but me. Mostly, perhaps, because I've already had my lifetime fill of putting lei's on people and drunkenly proclaiming that "they just got leid". Maybe it's just me.
(1)