Shacking up at Shotti’s Point

Welcome to Ocean City! Now get out. 

That’s not exactly how an Ocean City newcomer might feel when they step foot into Shotti’s Point, but one might want to keep in mind that this is definitely a locals-oriented joint. Even in the early afternoon on a Thursday in late January, the bar was lined with couples, friends and local brewers, all obviously natives to the region. 

That “Welcome to Ocean City!” sentiment is spelled out on a sign behind the bar that also features the iconic Misfits skull. While Shotti’s bears no relation to its neighbor K-Coast–there’s a door connecting the two businesses from the inside, but that’s always been there no matter what restaurant currently occupies the space–it does seem like a place where the local surfers/skaters/homebrewers/punks would hang out (are there punks in Ocean City though, or just Stephen Decatur students?). The interior decoration gives off that vibe, and so did the wide-ranging playlist that Thursday, which jumped from Irish folk music to Johnny Cash to Fugazi within, like, 10 minutes. 

Where Baltimore and Ocean City collide 

“We’re originally from Baltimore, but the owner spent a lot of time in Ocean City so he wanted to open a place here, too,” one server explained. The atmosphere is very much a collaboration of Baltimore and Ocean City, which makes sense based on the description on their website: “After many extensive surf trips around the world, [owner Mike Shott] has now returned to go after his lifelong dream of owning and operating his own bar, creating a menu of dishes with his own spin, and keeping true to a locals spot where Ocean City and Baltimore come together.” 

That collaboration of cities is especially evident in the bar’s craft beer selection. They carry Union Craft Brewing of Baltimore’s Rye-Baby IPA, which features a very iconic and very Baltimore Cry Baby-era Johnny Depp on the label, but they also carry Mispillion River, Fin City and Burley Oak, among other well-known local names. In fact, three Burley Oak employees stopped in for a quick pint on that Thursday afternoon. 

But their menu is where Shotti’s Point really gets interesting. Available at their Baltimore location are “Fells Point” mussels and “The Raven” sandwich, while “Eastern Shore” shrimp and Tsunami Tacos are available at both restaurants (you can get an “E.A. Poe” sandwich in Ocean City, too). Among the Baltimore and seascape titles are references to punk/alt music (“We Are 138” wings, “Rock the Casbah” sandwich, “Surfer Rosa” and “Beat on the Brat” tacos) and the “Fascist Pig” crafted sandwich is probably a reference to, well–some fascist presiding over a country far, far away.

Duck and lamb are both included on the menu, but what Shotti’s is most famous for is their Rhino Chasers: hand-cut fries seasoned with sea salt, rosemary, thyme, garlic, Parmesan, balsamic glaze and white truffle aioli. But, as one server put it, everything on the menu is good and what’s really the “best” is hard to say. For someone in a more experimental mood, the Duck Dive tacos are made up of seared duck breast, jalapeno slaw, almond-Craisin brittle and a wasabi aioli and they are spicy. For those craving comfort food, the Uncle Leo is a roast beef sandwich with muenster cheese and jalapeno slaw and Tiger Sauce on grilled marble rye. There’s something to suit any local’s mood at Shotti’s, and probably even any tourist’s, too.