Food Ocean

Editors Guide To Ocean City, Maryland

Vacation Planner:

Having visited Ocean City as a child, than as a parent, and now living here with my grandchildren has given me a unique look at what Ocean City has to offer. From a day trip to a yearly vacation I will offer my advice on things I have enjoyed over the years.

Things have changed over the course of 50 years but not as much as you may think. Gone are the sand dunes and wilderness that existed north of 60th Street when I was a child. They have been replaced with high-rise condominiums, strip malls, hotels, restaurants, and residential buildings of every possible configuration.

The boardwalk now runs from the Inlet at the southern edge of Ocean City to 26th Street. Most of the “action” is from 4th Street-south. If you want to stay where the action is I recommend staying on the boardwalk. This is a great area if you have teenagers or just like the hustle and bustle atmosphere. Even the boardwalk can be further broken down by just how much action you want. The further you get from the inlet the more relaxed the boardwalk becomes. See my article, Where to Stay, for a complete listing of what each area of Ocean City is like.

While not everyone likes the same entertainment, I’m going to assume that the major reason for coming to Ocean City is the ocean. Our beaches are fairly consistent throughout Ocean City with fairly wide expanses, very clean, and lifeguards stationed every block with communication systems connecting the entire beach. The one major exception to this is from the inlet to about 6th Street; this area has an extremely wide beach area with volleyball and play areas. This is good for daily visitors and children but difficult for the elderly and handicapped. Access to the beach from the end of the boardwalk-north is limited to paths made through the sand dunes at the end of each street. Rentals of chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards are available on every block entrance to the beach (as of this writing). There are plenty of places to eat lunch all along the boardwalk but make other plans for lunch if you stay off the boardwalk. See beach rules for a list of do’s and don’ts.

To get away from the action and have a more relaxed day at the beach I recommend Assateague Island State and Assateague Island National Park. Although the actual park starts at the inlet you must drive about 15 minutes to get to the parks entrances. Take Route 50 west, than Route 611 south. Route 611 ends at Assateague Island. Here you will find the State Park and the National Park. The State Park is somewhat more expensive to enter but has a snack bar. I personally prefer the National Park because it has more to offer. While the State Park is limited to a snack bar, the National Park has canoe rentals; tours, a crabbing pier, and a 4 wheel drive only area (permit required). Fires are allowed on the beach at night from the low tide mark to the high tide mark. Both areas offer lifeguarded beaches, picnic tables, grills, rest rooms, and showers. Campsites are available at both parks but advanced reservations are almost always required.

Entertainment doesn’t stop at the beach.                                                                       

The boardwalk offers rides, games, arcades, shops, and of course food for the kid in all of us. Here again, the action is centered from 1st Street to the inlet. To entertain the kids and the kids at heart I would suggest Splash Mountain at 30th Street and Coastal Hwy. There are several types of water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, snack bars, and my favorite the Rain Forest. The Rain Forest is fun for everyone; it has super sized squirt guns to shoot people as they walk by (my favorite-I get in battles with people from 6 to 60), water slides, a giant pirate hat that slowly fills and dumps its contents on everyone below, and water squirting at you from everywhere. Trust me; this giant sized water version of a jungle gym is worth the admission price by itself. It is so fun that the lifeguards wear rain hats and coats.

There are numerous race tracks for every age and miniature golf courses featuring something for everyone. For a complete list of fun things to do visit our entertainment page.

For the adults there are nightclubs catering to every age group and bars with many different themes. Seacrets is so popular with young adults that it has its own radio station while Fager’s Island is popular with the more sophisticated crowd. In between is everything from karaoke to beach bars.

A rainy day can be spent; going to the movies, going shopping, visiting the indoor pools located at many hotels, sitting on your balcony watching the ocean, taking a day trip to historic Berlin, Md., or just enjoying a long lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants.

Dinner in Ocean City for most of us is kind of like Family Feud. There are so many choices and nobody ever feels like the same thing at the same time. My family starts discussing dinner plans early so reservations can be made if required. During the peak season keep in mind that lines at popular restaurants can be long (even if the food is just so-so). My personal recommendations are: 1-Marina Deck, excellent crab soup and seafood dishes, and it’s on the water 2-Waterman’s Seafood Restaurant, very good crab feast and seafood 3-Nick’s Original House of Ribs, very good ribs and beef 4-Harpoon Hanna’s, very good seafood and on the water (service somewhat slow) 5-The Crabcake Factory USA, the best crab cakes, 6-Higgins Crab House, very good crabs and good seafood, 7-Bull on the Beach, excellent pit beef and good beef entrees, 8-Adolofo’s Italian Restaurant, excellent Italian dishes (expensive), 9-Embers Restaurant, very good seafood and prime rib buffet, 10-Ponzetti’s Pizza, my favorite pizza, 11-Lombardi’s, another good pizza and Italian restaurant, 12-Sakura, excellent Japanese steak house, 13-Phillip’s Crab House, good seafood (worth a visit but no longer the best seafood in Ocean City), 14-Outback Steakhouse, the same food you get at home but it’s good when you get tired of trying new places. These are my favorite restaurants. There are many great choices and many different ideas about what a good meal is. A good restaurant to me is a combination of very good to excellent food with reasonable prices, good service, and a varied menu for the entire family. Please leave reviews for restaurants you visit during your stay to help others choose a good restaurant.   

About the Author

Ocean City, Maryland – I’ve been traveling to Ocean City for over 40 years and now live here. My name is Frank Keller and I’d like to share my knowledge of the area with everyone interested in visiting or living here. Come visit our site for more articles and a vast variety of interesting things to do and see.

THE OCEAN – queen of the food chain

Ocean Food Chains NEW by Heidi Moore $10.80

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Merrick 5 Star Ocean Breeze 3.2 oz Canned Cat Food 24 ct case $28.40

Merrick 5 Star Ocean Breeze 5.5 oz Canned Cat Food 24 ct case $36.80

PUGSTER 9MM CHARM HEART SHRIMP FOOD THEMED LOVE WORK LEISURE GIFT OCEAN C89 $0.99

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Canidae 12-Pack Canned Dog Food, Beef and Ocean Fish Formula, 5-1/2-Ounce Can $23.35

5 Instant Ocean Pacific Krill-Revolutionary gel food technologyfor Saltwaterfish $15.99

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Marine Herbivore Chips Fish Food 80g Instant Ocean $8.95

Marine Herbivore Chips Fish Food 30g Instant Ocean $5.35

Marine Herbivore Pellet Fish Food 100g Instant Ocean $9.85

Marine Herbivore Pellet Fish Food 40g Instant Ocean $6.25

Omnivore Chips Marine Fish Food 80g Instant Ocean $9.95

Pacific Krill Gel Marine Fish Food Instant Ocean 2.8oz $8.95

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Marine Blend Omnivore Gel Fish Food Instant Ocean 2.8oz $8.95

Omnivore Pellet Marine Fish Food 100g Instant Ocean $9.85

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Omnivore Chips Marine Fish Food 30g Instant Ocean $5.35

Brine Shrimp Gel Marine Fish Food Instant Ocean 2.8oz $7.15

Marine Seaweed Blend Gel Fish Food Instant Ocean 2.8oz $8.05

Ocean Plankton Aquarium Fish Food Hikari .42oz $5.95

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Friskies Cat Food Classic Pate, Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Dinner, 5.5-Ounce Can $18.22

Natural Balance Canned Cat Food, Ocean Fish Recipe, 24 x 6 Ounce Pack $55.92

IAMS Ocean Fish & Rice Proactive Health Dry Cat Food, 4-Pound Bags (Pack of $52.16

Friskies Cat Food Classic Pate, Special Diet Ocean Whitefish Dinner, 5.5-Ounce C $18.57

Kids Konserve Insulated Food Jar $24.99

Deep Ocean Food Chains NEW by Marybeth L. Mataya $24.99

Ocean Food Chains (Food Webs), Excellent Books $5.45

Purina Pro Plan Kitten Food, Salmon and Ocean Fish Entre, 3-Ounce Cans $26.37

original OCEAN ZOO Amazing LIVE SEA MONKEYS pet shrimp eggs food aquarium tank $9.95

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Ocean Nutrition Brine Shrimp Flakes 1.2oz Fish Food $6.95

Ocean Nutrition Grid Feeding Clip Fish Food Seaweed $5.95

Ocean Nutrition Nano Reef Coral Food 10g $9.99

Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes 1.2oz Fish Food $6.95

Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flakes 154g 5.5oz Food $10.99

MARINE SEAWEED ALGAE FISH FOOD – Ocean Nutrition_Red Brown Green + FREE Clip $10.99

Ocean Nutrition CICHLID BASIC MINI PEL 8.8OZ FISH FOOD $10.50

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FirstMate Pet Foods Pacific Ocean Fish Large Breed, 14.5 Pounds $54.39

Instant Ocean Brine Shrimp Soft Gel Fish Food -20 Pack IN16014 $11.23

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Ocean Nutrition Atison’s Betta Food 75g 2.65oz $5.99

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OCEAN NUTRITION Formula Two Flakes, Natural Food for all Tropical Fish / 3 sizes $7.95

9 Lives Ocean Whitefish Dinner Cat Food (24 Per Pack) Set of: 24 79100-00420 $23.76

Purina Pro Plan Kitten Food, Salmon and Ocean Fish Entrée, 3-Ounce Cans (Pack o $29.60

original OCEAN-ZOO aquarium eggs food LIVE SEA MONKEYS instant Pets tank science $9.95

NEW Lego Belville DARK RED CRAB Sea Food Ocean Animal $2.99

The Ocean Breeze Sea Food House, Jersey City NJ $9.95

Instant Ocean Marine Chips Omnivore Diet Fish Food 30g $5.99

Instant Ocean Marine Chips Herbivore Diet Fish Food 30g $5.99

Instant Ocean Marine Chips Herbivore Diet Fish Food 80g $9.99

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Instant Ocean Marine Pellets Herbivore Fish Food 100g $10.99

Cuisinart CPB-300 SmartPower 15-Piece Compact Portable Blending/Chopping System Meet the Cuisinart SmartPower Compact Portable Blender – the compact powerhouse that does it all! Use the streamline blending cup to make smoothies in a flash! Mince herbs in the chopper cup and whip up custom drinks right in the “To-Go” cups – we’ve included four of them so everyone can have their favorite! Designed of fit anywhere, the Compact Portable Blender delivers big blender performance wi…

George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Grill $65.99 GEORGE FOREMAN INDOOR-OUT- DOOR ELECTRIC BBQ GRILL *17.5″ dia. *240 square inch cooking surface *Non-stick cooking surface *Center channel drains fat into large grease tray *Grill can be removed from the stand to cook indoor *Immersible with probe removed *”Mega Dome” lid with adjustable steam vent *Adjustable temperature control *Cool touch handles *Boxed *UL listed…

Sunbeam 5891 2-Pound Programmable Breadmaker, White $60.09 2 LB LOAF13-HOUR DELAY BAKE;12 COOKING FUNCTIONSEXPRESSBAKE BREAD MAKER CYCLE BAKES IN UNDER 1 HOURLED DISPLAYEASY-CLEAN TOUCH CONTROL PANELNON-STICK REMOVABLE BAKING PANINCLUDES INSTRUCTION BOOK WITH BREAD RECIPESUPC : 027045651783Shipping Dimensions : 18.30in X 14.00in X 13.40inEstimated Shipping Weight : 20.6812…

Weird Food & Devastation $0.01 Weird Food & Devastation…

Nature Connection Vol II Fishing the Ocean/Where Our Food Comes From [VHS] $24.95 …

National Geographic’s Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea [VHS] $6.52 They don’t call them killer whales for nothing. In National Geographic’s Killer Whales: Wolves of the Sea, narrated by the great David Attenborough, you’ll see pods of these great beasts work together to capture prey, much like their distant cousins the wolves. Incredible close-up footage of orcas playing, learning to hunt, practicing, and making their kills all across the globe brings them to li…

Bill Nye: Food Web & Ocean Life Two Bill Nye programs on one tape; approx. 52 minutes long….

Modern Marvels – Commercial Fishing (History Channel) $29.95 Americans consume more than 5-billion pounds yearly, an order that takes more than a fishing rod to fill and worries conservationists. We follow the fish, the fishermen, and the science trying to preserve fisheries for future generations–from ancient ships on the Nile to a modern technologically sophisticated factory trawler on the Bering Sea to the University of New Hampshire’s open-ocean aquacu…

Forks Over Knives $9.88 Should we throw away our knives and focus on consuming a plant-based diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains? This documentary lays out an array of statistics in its quest to make converts out of those who commit instead to a diet of animal-based, processed, and fast food, having to then deal with what the film insists are a variety of health problems they could otherwise avoid. 96 min. Wides…

Fat Sick & Nearly Dead $10.43 Overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe was at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. With doctors and conventional medicine unable to help, Joe traded in junk food and hit the road with a juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe had one goal in mind: To get off hi…