Sailor Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Annapolis

There's places you eat, and there's places you visit. Then there's places you experience because it's such a one of a kind atmosphere. Sailor Oyster Bar is one of those places.

Food: let's get right to it, the oysters are plentiful, varied, and very fresh. I kid you not, these are the BEST oysters I ever had. They came perfectly shucked and you could just eat them plain they were so good. The oysters come with special in house made cocktail sauce, spiced vinegar, and hot sauce... And of course lemon wedges. The combination of all the dressings and tasting the carrots sweetness or saltines of the fresh oysters was truly out of this world.

Service: I have never, and I mean NEVER had such a great service experience as i did here. Our server, Scott, was such a phenomenal person. He took the time to really explain the items on the menu and the differences between the various oyster types. We thoroughly enjoyed the welcoming spirit that he provided as well as the conversations we had. We also had the privilege of being able to speak with the owner, also named Scott! They made sure we felt completely welcome and genuinely like friends.

Atmosphere: One if the coolest atmospheres. Everyone who works here is so down to earth and friendly. Scott, our waiter, made the experience fantastic as well as the other patrons. I ended up meeting some patrons from my home town too which was just plain awesome. You see, this place is like walking into a 21st century version of cheers. You go here for GREAT good sure, but you come back for the people and experience to share stories and enjoy food with strangers.

Overall, if you come to Annapolis, you go here. There's no other places like it. It's truly a...

Hands down THE BEST oysters. My husband and I come out to Annapolis with some regularity and this is our favorite place to get oysters. We live about a half hour away and sometimes we make the trip out just to go there.

That being said - when we make the trip out JUST to go there, some other details make the experience not as great as it can be. The place is small - your best bet is getting a seat at the bar. If you sit at the bar, the bartenders are super funny and friendly and you'll have a great time.

If you come when it's crowded (Sundays seem to be the worst) you might have to sit at a teeny tiny table. The window tables are the smallest although they're cozy and if I was back to my mid-twenties weight I probably wouldn't even notice. Being in such close quarters, the unavoidable loud talkers that occasionally come in, seem that much more annoying.

They used to have a lobster roll and a drink called Aperol Aboard and those were two other favorite items for me and my husband. But a menu change nixed those off the menu and I've yet to find another cocktail I like there. I'm not much of a beer drinker but my husband likes their Oyster beer. And their house red is fine, but during my most recent trip - the second glass came out with like packaging dust on it, as if they'd just opened a new box of wine glasses. I don't mind, they were busy, just an odd thing I remember.

My husband also doesn't like much of what else is on the menu and the portions are healthfully small so if we go here its usually just for the oysters now.

Overall a great place that I hope to see expand - with more space, maybe more staffing, it can be a well oiled...

Good things first, every single worker/member was super friendly, helpful, and flexible. Definitely above average on their customer care. Next, their jalapeño margarita is so damn good. Finally, their charcuterie board items were delicious.

However, the charcuterie board was super small for our table of 5 adults. There weren't enough pieces of any single item for each of us. We had to cut every already-small piece of cheese or meat in order for us all to get a bite.

Next, maybe it is just my personal opinion because I was raised with a family that loves oysters so we used to get boxes of them at Port and go ham on them with our lil knives lol but their prices for amount of oysters was so disappointing I was embarrassed to have brought my parents. Not only was the quantity small, the oysters themselves were very small as well. Last, I ordered the crab sandwich thing and it was so dry. SO DRY. I wish the crab meat was more tender and/or that they included some butter or any other kind of sauce to help out with it. It was literally just crab and the bread/sandwich. Maybe their other dishes were better...

It's a place I wouldn't willfully return to unless someone else...