Fresh Squeezed Orange Crush Trail in Ocean City, MD Offers $5 Orange Crushes

Ocean City is serving up something special this summer—the Orange Crush Trail! It’s a partial Boardwalk partial Coastal adventure where participants can sign up (via oceancity.com/trails/) free of charge for 8 $5 Orange Crushes at participating bars. We decided to work our way uptown! We live in midtown so it also gave us time to stop at home and let the dog out before heading back out on the trail! (Shout out to, Baby Tuck! @tucktucklab) 

But First…Let’s Talk About The Crush

The Orange Crush cocktail was invented in 1995 at Harborside Bar & Grill in West Ocean City, combining orange vodka, triple sec, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a splash of lemon-lime soda. And boy are we happy they did! Fun fact: It was officially named Maryland’s state cocktail, effective June 1, 2025. 

What To Eat at Each Bar

Eating and drinking go hand in hand. And it helps pace your fun. Here’s a list of restaurants and what we recommend to eat!

1. The Cambria – We got there just as their breakfast service was ending so we didn’t eat here. But we did see someone eating some yummy looking avocado toast and a BLT croissant. And we thought, now all they need is an orange crush.
2. Crawl Street Tavern – Let’s be honest. No one is eating healthy during any type of drink crawl, including the Orange Crush Trail. So our pick to start would be wings, onion rings, and chicken tenders to start the day… no better brunch with an orange crush!
3. Guido’s Burritos (Boardwalk) – I had a Shrimp Taco Salad that was so so good! And Tim had a steak burrito with fries- yes I teased why he would get the most American side as opposed to the rice and beans…but he did have an orange crush in hand so he was forgiven.
4. Pit n Pub – The couple next to us ordered the crab dip with soft pretzel nuggets and the quesadilla that looked absolutely too picture perfect to eat! All they needed was an orange crush- so we showed them out to get on the trail on their phones!
5. Guido’s Burritos & Tequila Cantina – My go to here is always the chorizo nachos that’s large enough to feed an army…an army of one (yes that’s me!) along with an orange crush.
6. Finnigan’s Irish Pub & Eatery (Princess Bayside Beach Hotel) – Unfortunately since Covid, Finnigan’s does not serve food. But they did have a single pool table that begged to be played and a juke box that fed our soul as we played a little 8 ball. We were told they plan to open their kitchen service back up in the near future. And until then they occasionally have food trucks set up outside. If you’re wondering who won 8 ball, it was not me. I blame it on the 6th orange crush of the day.
7. Seacrets – I mean where can you go wrong at Seacrets for food? No where! Their jerk wings are always a fan favorite. I would also like to add their mussels with garlicy French bread…we like bread when drinking orange crushes.
8. The Current Bar and Grill (Princess Royale) – They had gluten free rolls! So the Italian Classic would be my pick with salami, prosciutto, and pepperoni paired with an orange crush.
   

Trail Tips for Easy Crush Cruising

• Sign up ahead on the official OC trail site (oceancity.com/trails/) 
• Pace yourself: 8 drinks at $5 each is great, but spread them over days 
• Be careful with the timer on the coupon. Each bar coupon once clicked has a ten minute timer for you to redeem. Obviously bars will be flexible when they’re bustling.
• Stay hydrated & safe: Alternate water between drinks, enjoy Ocean City’s  bus along Coastal Highway, or use ride share for safe traveling 
• Use rideshare when needed. Download Uber and Lyft ahead of time to save the frustration later. 
• Collect memories: Snap bar selfies and tag @oceancityphotos and #orangecrushtrailoc! Your photo might be featured in our stories!

Pros and Cons of Crush Trailing!

• Pro: All of the crushes were delicious! And funny enough they all tasted slightly different. Some had a bit more soda, some oranges were sweeter than others, and some bartenders may have been a little heavy handed in a good way. But we agreed that they all tasted like summer in Ocean City, Maryland!
• Pro: Everyone knows it’s important to eat while you’re drinking. And every place had something delicious! Between sliders and crab drip, taco salads and bbq, anyone on the orange crush trail is able to find something to their liking.  
• Pro: Just about every place we went to had a great Ocean City View! The Cambria had the view of the Route 50 Bridge AND shade! (I don’t know about you, but this summer heat is hitting me real hard this year for some reason!) Guido’s Burritos has the view of the boardwalk and the ocean! The Current (Princess Royale) had a huge upper deck bar that overlooked the sea of orange umbrellas that just hit home for me. 
• Pro: We only used one crush coupon at each place, which helped to pace the fun…if you know what I mean. And with eating at the stops, that helped, too!
  
• Con: Because we did the crush tour in ONE DAY (yes…all 8 bars), we were capital E exhausted! (One of us more than the other but I won’t day who.) We began around 11 am and stopped around 4. We were determined to see if it was feasible in a day. And the answer is yes, but 5 out of 10, do not recommend. What I do recommend would be getting your trail coupons and mapping it out for a long weekend experience. Don’t rush it like we did. Stay, relax, and enjoy yourselves. 

Crush Trail Take Aways

So here are some take aways from a day on The Orange Crush Trail. It’s more than just a cocktail tour—it’s an Ocean City celebration, a beachside happy hour (or hours), and a taste of OC’s best spirits paired with some great food spots. Whether you’re a boardwalk regular or a first-time visitor, it’s an cool way to experience local bars, support our community businesses, and taste the official state drink.  Just remember: pace, hydrate, and savor every sip.

Here’s to salty air, sweet Crushes, and summer nights in Ocean City!