23 Best Restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland

If you’re planning a vacation to the East Coast beach town of Ocean City, you’re probably already looking forward to fresh seafood, Old Bay seasoning, and the boardwalk fare of cotton candy, hot dogs, and saltwater taffy. The best restaurants in Ocean City can be found around the area from South to North Ocean City and beyond, to West Ocean City. Toss in views of the Atlantic Ocean, Isle of Wight Bay, or Assawoman Bay for a complete event.

Known as the White Marlin Capital of the World – proclaimed by Franklin Roosevelt in 1939 after a day of fishing in the Ocean City Inlet – Ocean City is home to the White Marlin Open, which has been held there for 50 years. It’s considered the world’s “largest and richest” billfish tournament.

A marlin is a billfish (as is a swordfish and a sailfish), in case you were wondering how the two go together. With those credentials, you should be able to angle yourself a good catch. Or at least catch a great seafood meal among the many choices in Ocean City, one of the best beaches on the East Coast.

Not into fresh seafood? Have no fear. There are plenty of Asian, Mexican, BBQ, and more venues with delicious food to choose from.

Yes, you could fill up on taffy, candy, and Thrasher’s French fries, but let’s add some healthy choices to the menu. It’ll make Mom happy.

Whether you’re searching for fine dining options, a casual eatery, an upscale wine bar, juicy burgers, or coastal low country boils, you’ll find some of the best restaurants on the Eastern Shores of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware right here in Ocean City MD. Let’s get started!

Best Restaurants in Ocean City, Maryland

1. Harbor Inn

Address: 216 Somerset Street, Ocean City, MD 21842

Looking for that quintessential “hole in the wall” bar … the kind with dollar bills tacked to the walls, and quirky signs hanging all around? You’ll probably also wonder “What’s up with the naked Barbie dolls?” (We’d be worried if you didn’t). Well, then Harbor Inn is your kinda place.

Located on the bayside near the White Marlin Marina and Ripley’s Mirror Maze, Harbor Inn has weathered storms, hurricanes, beach weeks, and a fire in 2021 that stemmed from an uninhabited apartment nearby. The oldest bar in Ocean City, it opened more than 86 years ago, though the building is from the 1800s, and is the oldest bar in O.C.

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