Participating Restaurants
32 Palm, 32nd Street, inside the Hilton Suites
BJ’s on the Water, 75th Street
The Blue Ox Bar & Grill, 127th Street
Bourbon Street on the Beach, 116th Street
Captain’s Galley II, Harbor Road, West Ocean City
Captain’s Table, 15th Street, inside the Marriott Courtyard
Crab Alley, Sunset Avenue, West Ocean City
Duffy’s Tavern, 129th Street
Happy Jack Pancake House, 25th Street
Horizon’s Oceanfront Restaurant, 101st Street, inside the Clarion Resort Hotel
Jules Restaurant, 118th Street
Laytons on 92nd, 92nd Street
Longboard Café, 67th Street
Seacrets, 49th Street
The Hobbit Restaurant, 81st Street
Touch of Italy, 67th Street, inside the Holiday Inn Oceanfront
Shark on the Harbor, Sunset Avenue, West Ocean City
Sunset Grille, Sunset Avenue, West Ocean City
Victorian Room, 28th Street, inside the Dunes Manor Hotel
(April 17, 2015) The ninth annual Ocean City Spring Restaurant Week begins this Sunday, with about 19 establishments participating in the two-week campaign designed to draw customers to local businesses as well as provide chefs with the opportunity to show what innovative dishes they have to offer.
Eateries will feature special, fixed-price menus at $10, $20, $30, $40 for lunch and dinner in addition to offering regular menu items until May 3.
“It’s an opportunity for people to try something they have never had before at a set price, which makes it easier to budget and there is definitely some good stuff on here,” said Susan Jones, executive director of the Ocean City Hotel-Motel-Restaurant Association, which organizes the annual event. “This year has really tasty menus and good deals.”
BJ’s on the Water on 75th Street has participated in Restaurant Week since its inception.
“We try to be creative and round out selections, but our customers are used to our good, consistent food,” said owner Madlyn Carder. “Were not the fanciest restaurant, but when you walk in the door you know you will get a quality product and that has kept us in business the past 36 years.”
BJ’s will be offering a $20 lunch menu with three courses including soups, salads and sandwiches. The dinner menu costs $30 with the choice of four courses including selections such as crab imperial, ravioli and a New York strip.
Jones mentioned a few other deals offered at local restaurants, which will last until Sunday, May 3.
Longboard Café on 67th Street will have two courses for $10 on the lunch menu, which features a selection of salads, burgers, sandwiches and tacos. The dinner menu features three courses for $40.
A $10 menu will be available at Happy Jack Pancake House with creative items on the menu including a crabby grilled cheese and croissant French toast, which is two flaky croissants dipped in cinnamon-egg batter and grilled, Jones said.
Touch of Italy will offer three courses for $24.95 starting at 5 p.m. each night during Restaurant Week.
A three-course menu for $30 will be offered at Jules Restaurant on 118th Street, including a New York strip with a Jack Daniels tarragon cream sauce, aged Vermont cheddar infused mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.
“It’s a great opportunity for chefs to go off the usual menu and prepare dishes they haven’t before,” Jones said.
Restaurant Week has been pushed up earlier in the year three times since its inception. The inaugural event was held in early June, then a few years later it was moved to mid-May and this year, marks the first time Restaurant Week will be in April, she added.
“Several of the restaurants thought it would be a good idea to move Restaurant Week to get business going and kick of the season earlier,” Jones said.
Carder explained how these days with a variety of quality restaurants available across the Route 50 and 90 bridges, it is hard to get locals into Ocean City to dine especially in the shoulder months when restaurants are struggling.
“The hope is Restaurant Week will entice locals to cross the bridge to see what is offered on the different menus and restaurants,” Carder said. “We hope people really enjoy themselves and realize they need to come into Ocean City more often to visit places open year-around with business owners who work hard and are in the thick of operations.”
Diners should note that alcohol, tax and gratuity are not included in the fixed-price deals and reservations are recommended.
“Spare your local economy by dining out. It will save anyone from having to cook, and just dine out Delmarva,” Jones said.
Visit www.oceancityrestaurantweek.com for a list of participating restaurants and to view the menus.
