This post was updated in June 2024.
Cracking crabs by a dock. Sipping a cocktail while watching boats glide by. Is there anything that screams languid summer day more than eating and drinking with a water view?
In this region, we’re fortunate to have all sorts of waterfront on which to site a restaurant or bar—rivers, lakes, and of course the mighty Chesapeake Bay. So we’ve looked for every possible place, both in the immediate Washington area and within a two-and-a-half-hour drive of DC, where you can grab a bite or a drink along the water. Know of a good place we forgot? Click here to let us know. You’ll find a fuller description of some of these spots in the May 2021 issue.
Southwest DC—The Wharf and Buzzard Point:
12 Stories
75 District Sq., SW
Bar Pendry
655 Water St., SW
Bartaco
645 Wharf St., SW
Bistro du Jour
99 District Sq., SW
Boardwalk Bar & Arcade
715 Wharf St., SW
The Brighton
949 Wharf St., NW
Cantina Bambina
960 Wharf St., SW
Colada Shop
10 Pearl St., SW
Del Mar
791 Wharf St., SW
Easy Company
98 Blair Alley, SW
The Grill
99 Market Sq., SW
H Bar at Hyatt House
725 Wharf St., SW
Hank’s Oyster Bar
701 Wharf St., SW
Hell’s Kitchen
652 Wharf St., SW
Jessie Taylor Seafood
1100 Maine Ave., SW
Kaliwa
751 Wharf St., SW
Kinfolk Southern Kitchen
685 Wharf St., SW
Kirwan’s on the Wharf
749 Wharf St., SW
La Vie
88 District Sq., SW
Limani
670 Wharf St., SW
Lucky Buns
675 Wharf St., SW
Lupo Marino
40 Pearl St., SW
Mi Vida
98 District Square, SW
Moonraker
655 Water St., SW
Municipal Fish Market
1100 Maine Ave., SW
Nara-Ya
88 District Sq., SW
Officina
1120 Maine Ave., SW
Philippe by Philippe Chow
635 Wharf St., SW
The Point
2100 Second St., SW
Rappahannock Oyster Bar
1150 Maine Ave., SW
Shake Shack
975 Wharf St., SW
Slip Inn Bar & Grill
2842 Arnold Ave., SW
Tiki TNT
1130 Maine Ave., SW
Whiskey Charlie
975 Seventh St., SW
The Watering Hole
850 Wharf St., SW
DC’s Navy Yard
Agua 301
301 Water St., SE
All-Purpose Pizzeria
79 Potomac Ave., SE
District Winery
385 Water St., SE
Due South
301 Water St., SE
Osteria Morini
301 Water St., SE
The Salt Line
79 Potomac Ave., SE
Solace Outpost
71 Potomac Ave., SE
Georgetown
Farmers Fishers Bakers
3000 K St., NW
Fiola Mare
3100 K St., NW
Guapo’s of Georgetown
3050 K St., NW
Nick’s Riverside Grill
3050 K St., NW
Roof Terrace Restaurant
Kennedy Center, 2700 F St., NW
Sequoia
3000 K St., NW
Tony and Joe’s Seafood Place
3000 K St., NW
Maryland’s National Harbor:
Bar Harbor
123 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Bond 45
149 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Crab Cake Cafe
140 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
Fiorella Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria
152 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
Flight Deck
141 American Way., Oxon Hill
Fogo de Chao
141 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
Grace’s Mandarin
188 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Lobby Bar
Westin National Harbor, 171 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls
156 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks
145 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
Old Hickory Steakhouse
201 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Redstone American Grill
155 National Plaza, Oxon Hill
Rosa Mexicano
153 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Sauciety an American Grill
171 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Silver Diner
108 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Succotash
186 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
The Walrus Oyster & Ale House
152 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill
Alexandria
Ada’s on the River
3 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria
Barca Pier & Wine Bar
2 Pioneer Mill Way, Alexandria
Blackwall Hitch
5 Cameron St., Alexandria
Catboat Pizza Bar
1 Marina Dr., Alexandria
Jula’s on the Potomac
44 Canal Center Plaza, Alexandria
Chart House
1 Cameron St., Alexandria
Hummingbird
220 S. Union St., Alexandria
Vola’s Dockside Grill and Hi-Tide Lounge
101 N. Union St., Alexandria
Arlington
Island Time Bar & Grill
Columbia Island Marina, George Washington Memorial Pkwy., Arlington
Occoquan, Virginia
Bottle Stop Wine Bar
311 Mill St., Occoquan
Brickmakers Cafe
9751 Ox Rd., Lorton
D’Rocco’s
301 Mill St., Occoquan
Electric Palm
12745 Sea Ray Ln., Woodbridge
The Harbour Grille
13188 Marina Way, Woodbridge
Madigan’s Waterfront
201 Mill St., Occoquan
Northern Virginia
2941 Restaurant
2941 Fairview Park Dr., Falls Church
Bungalow Lakehouse
46116 Lake Center Plaza, Sterling
Cafe Montmartre
1625 Washington Plaza N., Reston
Red’s Table
11150 South Lakes Dr., Reston
Sweetwater Tavern
45980 Waterview Plaza, Sterling
Northern Neck of Virginia
Coles Point Tavern
850 Salisbury Park Rd., Hague
Dockside Restaurant & Tiki Bar
1787 Castlewood Dr., Colonial Beach
Fish Hawk Oyster Bar
The Tides Inn, 480 King Carter Dr., Irvington
High Tides on the Potomac
205 Taylor St., Colonial Beach
Merroir Tasting Room
784 Locklies Creek Rd., Topping
Riverboat on the Potomac
301 Beach Ter., Colonial Beach
Salt and Meadow
The Tides Inn, 480 King Carter Dr., Irvington
Tim’s II at Fairview Beach
5411 Pavilion Dr., King George
Wilkerson’s Seafood Restaurant
3900 McKinney Blvd., Colonial Beach
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Charley Prime Foods (9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg)
Copper Canyon Grill (100 Boardwalk Place, Gaithersburg)
Guapo’s Cantina (9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg)
Silver Diner (9811 Washingtonian Blvd., Gaithersburg)
Frederick, Maryland
Idiom Brewing Co. (340 East Patrick St., Frederick)
La Paz (51 South Market St., Frederick)
Steinhardt Brewing Co. (340 East Patrick St., Frederick)
Truth & Beauty (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)
The Wine Kitchen on the Creek (50 Carroll Creek Way, Frederick)
Columbia, Maryland
Sushi Sono (10215 Wincopin Cir., Columbia)
Baltimore and Surrounding Area
The Admiral’s Cup (1647 Thames St., Baltimore)
Ampersea (1417 Thames St., Baltimore)
Barcocina (1629 Thames St., Baltimore)
Bowley’s on the Bay (800 Chester Rd., Middle River)
Captain James Seafood Palace (2127 Boston St., Baltimore)
Carson’s Creekside Restaurant & Lounge (1110 Beech Dr., Middle River)
The Crazy Tuna (203 Nanticoke Rd., Essex)
DiPasquale’s Harborview (500 Harborview Dr., Baltimore)
Dock of the Bay (9025 Cuckold Point Rd.., Sparrows Point)
Hard Yacht Cafe (8500 Cove Rd., Dundalk)
Little Havana (1325 Key Hwy., Baltimore)
Loch Bar (240 International Dr., Baltimore)
LP Steamers (1100 E. Fort Ave., Baltimore)
Miss Shirley’s Cafe (750 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)
Nanami Cafe (907 S. Ann St., Baltimore)
Nick’s Fish House (2600 Insulator Dr., Baltimore)
Ouzo Beach (800 S. Central Ave., Baltimore)
Pitango Bakery & Cafe (903 S. Ann St., Baltimore)
The Point in Fells (1738 Thames St., Baltimore)
The Pool Bar & Grill (Sagamore Pendry, 1715 Thames St., Baltimore)
Raw & Refined (2723 Lighthouse Point E., Baltimore)
Rusty Scupper (402 Key Hwy., Baltimore)
Rye Street Tavern (reopening in July 2024; 13 Rye St, Baltimore)
The Seasoned Mariner (601 Wise Ave., Dundalk)
Serenity Wine Cafe (1121 Hull St., Baltimore)
Sunset Cove (3408 Red Rose Farm Rd., Bowleys Quarters, Baltimore)
Thames Street Oyster House (1728 Thames St., Baltimore)
Tiki Lee’s Dock Bar (4309 Shore Rd., Sparrows Point)
Watertable (Renaissance Hotel, 202 E. Pratt St., Baltimore)
Havre de Grace and Belcamp, Maryland
Promenade Grille (Millard Tydings Memorial Park, 352 Commerce St., Havre de Grace)
Tidewater Grille (300 Franklin St., Havre de Grace)
Water Street Seafood (654 Water St., Havre de Grace)
Annapolis
Cantler’s Riverside Inn (458 Forest Beach Rd., Annapolis)
Carrol’s Creek (410 Severn Ave., Annapolis)
The Chart House (300 Second St., Annapolis)
Latitude 38 (12 Dock St., Annapolis)
Mike’s Restaurant & Crab House (3030 Riva Rd., Riva)
The Point Crab House & Grill (700 Mill Creek Rd., Arnold)
Pusser’s Caribbean Grille (80 Compromise St., Annapolis)
Severn Inn (1993 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Annapolis)
Yellowfin (2840 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater)
Outside Annapolis/Deale
Dockside Restaurant & Sports Bar (421 Deale Rd., Tracy’s Landing)
Happy Harbor (533 Deale Rd., Deale)
Pirates Cove (4817 Riverside Dr., Galesville)
Skipper’s Pier Restaurant & Dock Bar (6158 Drum Point Rd., Deale)
Stan and Joe’s Saloon (4851 Riverside Dr., Galesville)
Kent Island, Maryland
The Big Owl Tiki Bar (3015 Kent Narrows Way S., Grasonville)
Bridges (321 Wells Cove Rd., Grasonville)
Fisherman’s Crab Deck (3032 Kent Narrows Way S., Grasonville)
Harris Crab House & Seafood Restaurant (433 Kent Narrows Way N., Grasonville)
Libbey’s Coastal Kitchen and Cocktails (357 Pier One Rd., Stevensville)
The Jetty (201 Wells Cove Rd., Grasonville)
Kentmorr Beach Bar and Grill (910 Kentmorr Rd., Stevensville)
The Narrows Restaurant (3023 Kent Narrows Way S., Grasonville)
Red Eye’s Dock Bar (428 Kent Narrows Way N., Grasonville)
St. Michaels, Maryland
Blu Miles Seafood & Grill (305 Mulberry St., St. Michaels)
The Crab Claw (304 Mill St., St. Michaels)
Foxy’s Harbor Grill (125 Mulberry St., St. Michaels)
Harrison’s Harbour Lights (101 N. Harbor Rd., St. Michaels)
Star’s (Inn at Perry Cabin, 308 Watkins Lane, St. Michaels)
Tilghman Island, Maryland
Marker Five (6178 Tilghman Island Rd., Sherwood)
Tickler’s Crab Shack & Restaurant (21551 Chesapeake House Dr., Tilghman)
Tilghman Island Inn (21384 Coopertown Rd., Tilghman Island)
Oxford, Cambridge, and Hurlock, Maryland
Capsize (314 Tilghman St., Oxford)
Doc’s Sunset Grille (104 W. Pier St., Oxford)
Portside (201 Trenton St., Cambridge)
Snappers Waterfront Cafe (112 Commerce St., Cambridge)
Suicide Bridge Restaurant (6304 Suicide Bridge Rd., Hurlock)
Water’s Edge Grill (Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay resort, 100 Heron Blvd., Cambridge)
Chestertown, Maryland
Jellyfish Joel’s (22170 Great Oak Landing Rd., Chestertown)
Rock Hall, Maryland
Harbor Shack (20895 Bayside Ave, Rock Hall)
Waterman’s Crab House (at the foot of Sharp Rd., Rock Hall)
Solomons Island, Lusby, and Dowell, Maryland
Anglers Seafood Bar and Grill (275 Lore Rd., Solomons)
Bugeye Grill (14470 Solomons Island Rd., South, Solomons)
Charles Street Brasserie (120 Charles St., Solomons)
Hidden Harbour (14755 Dowell Rd., Dowell)
The Island Hideaway (14556 Solomons Island Rd., South, Solomons)
The Lighthouse Restaurant and Dock Bar (14636 Solomons Island Rd., South, Solomons)
The Pier (14575 Solomons Island Rd., Solomons)
Vera’s Restaurant (1200 White Sands Dr., Lusby)
Cobb Island and Newburg, Maryland
Captain Billy’s Crab House (11495 Popes Creek Rd., Newburg)
Captain John’s Crab House (16215 Cobb Island Rd., Newburg)
The Rivah (12364 Neale Sound Dr., Cobb Island)
Scuttlebutt Restaurant and Marina (12320 Neale Sound Dr., Cobb Island)
St. Mary’s County, Maryland
Drift Inn (41310 Riverview Rd., Mechanicsville)
Fitzie’s Marina Restaurant & Pub (21540 Joe Hazel Rd., Leonardtown)
Morris Point (38869 Morris Point Rd., Abell)
Pier 450 (48342 Wynne Rd, Ridge)
The Ruddy Duck (16800 Piney Point Rd., Piney Point)
Seabreeze Restaurant and Tiki Bar (27130 S. Sandgates Rd., Mechanicsville)
Stoney’s Clarks Landing (24580 Clarkes Landing Ln., Hollywood)
Salt Waterfront Kitchen (16244 Millers Wharf Rd., Ridge)
North Beach and Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
1936 Bar and Grill (4160 Mears Ave., Chesapeake Beach)
Abner’s Crabhouse (3748 Harbor Rd., Chesapeake Beach)
Boardwalk Cafe (4160 Mears Ave., Chesapeake Beach)
Ketch 22 (7153 Lake Shore Dr., North Beach)
Baia Coastal Italian (8323 Bayside Rd., Chesapeake Beach)
Rod ’n’ Reel (4160 Mears Ave., Chesapeake Beach)
Benedict, Maryland
Ray’s Pier (18170 Desoto Ln., Benedict)
Port Tobacco, Maryland
Port Tobacco Marina and Restaurant (7536 Shirley Blvd., Port Tobacco)
Lake Anna, Virginia
The Cove at Lake Anna (6320 Belmont Rd., Mineral)
Lake Anna Taphouse (208 Lake Front Dr., Mineral)
Tim’s at Lake Anna (200 Boardwalk Way, Mineral)
Port Royal, Virginia
Randolph’s on the River (136 Main St., Port Royal)
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Brock’s Riverside Grill (503 Sophia St., Fredericksburg)
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
Sherri Dalphonse joined Washingtonian in 1986 as an editorial intern, and worked her way to the top of the masthead when she was named editor-in-chief in 2022. She oversees the magazine’s editorial staff, and guides the magazine’s stories and direction. She lives in DC.
