The service was great!!! Drinks amazing!!!! Ordered crabs.. shrimp .. sliders ... snow crab legs. Food was really good. Only thing the crabs were light ... not much meat in them. Overall.. it's a nice place to relax on the water and have great conversations with drinks. Kid friendly as well.
Joe N.
Sometimes food is good , sometimes sucks service suck's during day take out orders are usually wrong
bill767
We were sailing up the Potomac river and anchored for the evening on Port Tobacco River. We found this restaurant had a dock we could dinghy to for dinner. The food and entertainment that night was worth it. A word of warning, the power boaters through a lot of wake going up the river. And stay in the channel when getting close to the docks because even the dinghy will get stuck in the sallows.
Yesse R.
Service and the drinks were great! Come for happy hour and the band!!! Indoor and outdoor seating is available year round . They even have heaters .
Bil C.
One of the worst restaurant experiences of my life. This was obscenely bad. On May 21, 2022, we were celebrating my son's First Holy Communion. I had a party of 10 people. We waited over an hour to be seated, but we agreed to that, except that the waiting area outside was absolutely filthy. When we finally got our table, it was on the dock and we were spread across two tables because of our party size. Nothing wrong yet, but it only went downhill from there. The waiter, who had a leg brace, a *very* short attention span and a penchant for calling everyone "my man" took the order and then got it all wrong. I got the wrong beer, my wife never got anything, and several drinks came out one at a time over the course of 20 minutes. No silverware or napkins until I found a different server and asked her to get it for us. It took "my man" 20 minutes to come by and take our food order after the drinks came. We told him about the mix-up with the drinks, and he corrected half of it. I guess he thought that was all he had to do, or it simply confused him, because after another 80 minutes (seriously), there was still no food. I had to walk through the restaurant several times just to find him. When I did, he was talking to a fellow employee at the front of the restaurant. I told him we needed our food or we needed to leave. It was getting late, and I actually had to pick up my older son a few towns away. 20 minutes after that, it was completely dark outside and the food finally arrived. We all had to use our cell phone lights just to see the food, which "my man" made no effort to give to the correct people. We all had to give each other the correct plates. My son, whom we were there to celebrate - NEVER GOT HIS FOOD - he ate nothing except what we gave him off our own plates. The food was really horrible. Cold, soggy, and completely unappetizing in every way. You could just look at anyone's plate and think how much that "chef" hates his job. So we all sat on that dock eating horrible food with one hand and holding a cell phone in the other pretending not to be embarrassed. I never paid the bill - my wife did. That's because I had to leave before the bill came to get my older son who needed to be picked up by 10:30pm. We had figured the meal would be over in plenty of time, but I had to leave my guests in the middle of a meal which was very embarrassing. But not nearly as embarrassing as making them eat the terrible food I bought them and made them wait hours to get. My soft shell crab sandwich was oily and cold. Even the Lays potato chips on the plate (yeah, that's what they served) were stale. This place was a disaster. I've been to the Port Tobacco Marina several times before. It was always *fine*. Nothing special, but not terrible. This night was a complete embarrassment. Hundreds of dollars later, I'm humiliated that I brought friends to this place. This place may be ok at handing you a bottle of beer, which seems to be the bulk of their dockside business, but food is definitely not their strong suit, or customer service. Look at all the 1-star ratings this place has from other reviewers. I should have done the same. EVERYTHING is expensive these days. If this place wants to compete for our dollars, they certainly need to try harder. They won't get mine again.
CurlyQ21601
Visited on a Saturday night. Arrived around 6:30. Plenty of seating at the bar. No wait! Bartender, Kim was great! Attentive and polite. Drinks were good. Food was average, basic bar food for sure. The pulled pork sandwich arrived with no BBQ sauce. Also the burger was over cooked. The Wedge salad, skip it. Presentation was awful, all the toppings (bacon, tomatoes etc.) came in little soufflé cups, not on the salad. It was a DIY salad, very strange! I don't like the fact everything was served on plastic plates with cheap utensils as well. View was great! Dog friendly! Live music!
Shay S.
Disappointed. Our server was very pleasant and attentive. That's the only positive. The rest of the staff had sour expressions and the overall atmosphere was unpleasant. This must be a spot for locals only because lots of patrons appeared to know each other. As an outsider and first time customer, I didn't feel welcomed. The menu did not impress. Our food was average, not memorable. I will not recommend this spot to anyone.
Tara F.
If you're looking for a place to sit down and just relax for a while this is it! The location is right on the water and there's a huge deck with plenty of outdoor seating, but if that's not your thing, there's space inside too. It does get pretty crowded at times so the place isn't super fast, but it is a great get together spot. I've gone quite a few times and have noticed baby showers, and reunions. I've also been there for their live music and a paint party. The food is good, but it's the appetizers that keep me coming back! The bacon wrapped scallops (when available) are delicious! Crispy bacon on the outside and nice hot scallop inside. Check their social media page for updates on nightly specials. They regularly have discount drinks and half off appetizer deals!
teem755
We’ve been coming here off and on for past 7 years. Port Tobacco Restaurant started out as a great hidden gem with good atmosphere, food and crabs. I think management has changed for the worse. Last year through this year PTR has turned into a trashy bar with HORRIBLE food and HORRIBLE service. Twice 2020 and 2021 separate occasions we waited long for food because “kitchen is backed up” , so finally when waitress comes back to check on us, they are out of most things on menu. At our Last visit hostess sat us in a dark area on the deck, we didn’t want to sit inside because it looked so rundown and just nasty. Also the bathroom has a huge fly infestation. The crab cakes were not fresh there were little pieces of lump meat but the rest was mushy and tasted like old crab meat. I hated my experience there and will never go back or refer anyone else. The owner needs a complete overhaul of this place. it’s so sad because the location is so beautiful but the dining experience is the worst! Lastly, they serve everything on cheap plastic (plates, cups, utensil). I hated that I even wasted my money. Please Find another place that will value your patronage and serve you well.
Clarence P.
Wife and I went at 5:00 to miss the crowd. She ordered the oysters and I ordered the steamed shrimp. Her dinner came and mine was "coming ". She finished and was waiting for my shrimp to come. When they finally came, I had it boxed to go. "The steamer was down". My comment to tell the manager was ignored. No apology..no discount. This manager should not be in the restaurant business. There are much better places nearby, go there !
Nice location on the water. The crabs are always good. Management could be better. I've expressed to the manager, waitress and owner about how bad the bees have gotten. I've been coming here for the last few years and eating outside. I've never experienced the bees like I am now. They said, your eating outside and the bees are going to be there. The manager said they like the wood. The bees and flies are so aggressive. It's like they are on attack mode. The flies are terrible inside. I packed up and took my food home. They won't look into the bees. People were coming inside to get a table because the bees are so bad. I believe there is a bee hive somewhere.
Marion C.
Hands down the absolute WORST crab cakes on this planet. I've had crab cakes at hundreds of restaurants throughout the United States but this stuff they pass off as crab cakes is terrible. They don't even taste like crab. Save your money and try another "dish". I will say the friends I was with did like the tray of crabs and were happily pounding away on the critters.
Susan D.
Love this place. Great service, food, and view time and time again. Sometimes the floor inside is sticky but they do their best. We make it here every summer.
Alex D.
I took my beautiful bride and my awesome dog Django for an afternoon lunch we had the clam soup which was exceptional it was a cream-based soup but it wasn't super thick and the flavors were perfect my wife had a salmon salad and the salmon was also perfectly done definitely not over done like some restaurants do finally I had a BLT soft shell crab sandwich which was insanely good the waitress was fantastic when she saw that my drink was low she automatically came out and brought me a fresh drink and she was very friendly I can't remember her name but she sure had a lot of tattoos on her I wanted to study all the art on her body... I have to say it was a near perfect experience for a nice afternoon off the sun was out and it was a cool breeze in the air the only thing that I can say that was not amazing was the coleslaw and I think the problem is that they put poppyseeds in the dressing, if they would swap those out for celery seeds I think they would make a big difference IMHO.... We've lived down in southern Maryland for many years and some friends of ours turned us onto this place last year well let's say before Covid this is the first time we've come back and we will be coming back again and again and again what you have in your backyard is oftenMuch better than you realize!
Patty H.
Sat for 15 minutes without a server even looking in our direction. Took another 30 minutes to get drinks and we didn't even get to order until we had been there for an hour. We did not get any napkins while there, no silverware, no water like asked for, and our fries were forgotten. I work in the service industry and understand when people are busy and understaffed,but we couldn't even get as much as a table tap nor menus. Our server was great despite being clearly spread too thin. I blame the management for this experience. I asked to speak to the manager before i left, I waited 30 more minutes before leaving and never talked to them nor saw them. Management is not doing their job and the servers will be the ones to pay for that .
The service was great!!! Drinks amazing!!!! Ordered crabs.. shrimp .. sliders ... snow crab legs. Food was really good. Only thing the crabs were light ... not much meat in them. Overall.. it's a nice place to relax on the water and have great conversations with drinks. Kid friendly as well.
Sometimes food is good , sometimes sucks service suck's during day take out orders are usually wrong
We were sailing up the Potomac river and anchored for the evening on Port Tobacco River. We found this restaurant had a dock we could dinghy to for dinner. The food and entertainment that night was worth it. A word of warning, the power boaters through a lot of wake going up the river. And stay in the channel when getting close to the docks because even the dinghy will get stuck in the sallows.
Service and the drinks were great! Come for happy hour and the band!!! Indoor and outdoor seating is available year round . They even have heaters .
One of the worst restaurant experiences of my life. This was obscenely bad. On May 21, 2022, we were celebrating my son's First Holy Communion. I had a party of 10 people. We waited over an hour to be seated, but we agreed to that, except that the waiting area outside was absolutely filthy. When we finally got our table, it was on the dock and we were spread across two tables because of our party size. Nothing wrong yet, but it only went downhill from there. The waiter, who had a leg brace, a *very* short attention span and a penchant for calling everyone "my man" took the order and then got it all wrong. I got the wrong beer, my wife never got anything, and several drinks came out one at a time over the course of 20 minutes. No silverware or napkins until I found a different server and asked her to get it for us. It took "my man" 20 minutes to come by and take our food order after the drinks came. We told him about the mix-up with the drinks, and he corrected half of it. I guess he thought that was all he had to do, or it simply confused him, because after another 80 minutes (seriously), there was still no food. I had to walk through the restaurant several times just to find him. When I did, he was talking to a fellow employee at the front of the restaurant. I told him we needed our food or we needed to leave. It was getting late, and I actually had to pick up my older son a few towns away. 20 minutes after that, it was completely dark outside and the food finally arrived. We all had to use our cell phone lights just to see the food, which "my man" made no effort to give to the correct people. We all had to give each other the correct plates. My son, whom we were there to celebrate - NEVER GOT HIS FOOD - he ate nothing except what we gave him off our own plates. The food was really horrible. Cold, soggy, and completely unappetizing in every way. You could just look at anyone's plate and think how much that "chef" hates his job. So we all sat on that dock eating horrible food with one hand and holding a cell phone in the other pretending not to be embarrassed. I never paid the bill - my wife did. That's because I had to leave before the bill came to get my older son who needed to be picked up by 10:30pm. We had figured the meal would be over in plenty of time, but I had to leave my guests in the middle of a meal which was very embarrassing. But not nearly as embarrassing as making them eat the terrible food I bought them and made them wait hours to get. My soft shell crab sandwich was oily and cold. Even the Lays potato chips on the plate (yeah, that's what they served) were stale. This place was a disaster. I've been to the Port Tobacco Marina several times before. It was always *fine*. Nothing special, but not terrible. This night was a complete embarrassment. Hundreds of dollars later, I'm humiliated that I brought friends to this place. This place may be ok at handing you a bottle of beer, which seems to be the bulk of their dockside business, but food is definitely not their strong suit, or customer service. Look at all the 1-star ratings this place has from other reviewers. I should have done the same. EVERYTHING is expensive these days. If this place wants to compete for our dollars, they certainly need to try harder. They won't get mine again.
Visited on a Saturday night. Arrived around 6:30. Plenty of seating at the bar. No wait! Bartender, Kim was great! Attentive and polite. Drinks were good. Food was average, basic bar food for sure. The pulled pork sandwich arrived with no BBQ sauce. Also the burger was over cooked. The Wedge salad, skip it. Presentation was awful, all the toppings (bacon, tomatoes etc.) came in little soufflé cups, not on the salad. It was a DIY salad, very strange! I don't like the fact everything was served on plastic plates with cheap utensils as well. View was great! Dog friendly! Live music!
Disappointed. Our server was very pleasant and attentive. That's the only positive. The rest of the staff had sour expressions and the overall atmosphere was unpleasant. This must be a spot for locals only because lots of patrons appeared to know each other. As an outsider and first time customer, I didn't feel welcomed. The menu did not impress. Our food was average, not memorable. I will not recommend this spot to anyone.
If you're looking for a place to sit down and just relax for a while this is it! The location is right on the water and there's a huge deck with plenty of outdoor seating, but if that's not your thing, there's space inside too. It does get pretty crowded at times so the place isn't super fast, but it is a great get together spot. I've gone quite a few times and have noticed baby showers, and reunions. I've also been there for their live music and a paint party. The food is good, but it's the appetizers that keep me coming back! The bacon wrapped scallops (when available) are delicious! Crispy bacon on the outside and nice hot scallop inside. Check their social media page for updates on nightly specials. They regularly have discount drinks and half off appetizer deals!
We’ve been coming here off and on for past 7 years. Port Tobacco Restaurant started out as a great hidden gem with good atmosphere, food and crabs. I think management has changed for the worse. Last year through this year PTR has turned into a trashy bar with HORRIBLE food and HORRIBLE service. Twice 2020 and 2021 separate occasions we waited long for food because “kitchen is backed up” , so finally when waitress comes back to check on us, they are out of most things on menu. At our Last visit hostess sat us in a dark area on the deck, we didn’t want to sit inside because it looked so rundown and just nasty. Also the bathroom has a huge fly infestation. The crab cakes were not fresh there were little pieces of lump meat but the rest was mushy and tasted like old crab meat. I hated my experience there and will never go back or refer anyone else. The owner needs a complete overhaul of this place. it’s so sad because the location is so beautiful but the dining experience is the worst! Lastly, they serve everything on cheap plastic (plates, cups, utensil). I hated that I even wasted my money. Please Find another place that will value your patronage and serve you well.
Wife and I went at 5:00 to miss the crowd. She ordered the oysters and I ordered the steamed shrimp. Her dinner came and mine was "coming ". She finished and was waiting for my shrimp to come. When they finally came, I had it boxed to go. "The steamer was down". My comment to tell the manager was ignored. No apology..no discount. This manager should not be in the restaurant business. There are much better places nearby, go there !
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice location on the water. The crabs are always good. Management could be better. I've expressed to the manager, waitress and owner about how bad the bees have gotten. I've been coming here for the last few years and eating outside. I've never experienced the bees like I am now. They said, your eating outside and the bees are going to be there. The manager said they like the wood. The bees and flies are so aggressive. It's like they are on attack mode. The flies are terrible inside. I packed up and took my food home. They won't look into the bees. People were coming inside to get a table because the bees are so bad. I believe there is a bee hive somewhere.
Hands down the absolute WORST crab cakes on this planet. I've had crab cakes at hundreds of restaurants throughout the United States but this stuff they pass off as crab cakes is terrible. They don't even taste like crab. Save your money and try another "dish". I will say the friends I was with did like the tray of crabs and were happily pounding away on the critters.
Love this place. Great service, food, and view time and time again. Sometimes the floor inside is sticky but they do their best. We make it here every summer.
I took my beautiful bride and my awesome dog Django for an afternoon lunch we had the clam soup which was exceptional it was a cream-based soup but it wasn't super thick and the flavors were perfect my wife had a salmon salad and the salmon was also perfectly done definitely not over done like some restaurants do finally I had a BLT soft shell crab sandwich which was insanely good the waitress was fantastic when she saw that my drink was low she automatically came out and brought me a fresh drink and she was very friendly I can't remember her name but she sure had a lot of tattoos on her I wanted to study all the art on her body... I have to say it was a near perfect experience for a nice afternoon off the sun was out and it was a cool breeze in the air the only thing that I can say that was not amazing was the coleslaw and I think the problem is that they put poppyseeds in the dressing, if they would swap those out for celery seeds I think they would make a big difference IMHO.... We've lived down in southern Maryland for many years and some friends of ours turned us onto this place last year well let's say before Covid this is the first time we've come back and we will be coming back again and again and again what you have in your backyard is oftenMuch better than you realize!
Sat for 15 minutes without a server even looking in our direction. Took another 30 minutes to get drinks and we didn't even get to order until we had been there for an hour. We did not get any napkins while there, no silverware, no water like asked for, and our fries were forgotten. I work in the service industry and understand when people are busy and understaffed,but we couldn't even get as much as a table tap nor menus. Our server was great despite being clearly spread too thin. I blame the management for this experience. I asked to speak to the manager before i left, I waited 30 more minutes before leaving and never talked to them nor saw them. Management is not doing their job and the servers will be the ones to pay for that .