Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar - St. Michaels

We enjoyed a fantastic casual lunch at Ava's. We shared a Ma's Meatball Sub and added a second side of chips for an additional $3. The roll, the meatballs, and the sauce were exceptional. Katie did a great job serving us. The patio was a nice place to dine and the staff opened and closed the retractable roof as the weather changed during our meal. The whole experience was great!

Took a solo trip and decided last minute to stop in for lunch. Ordered the margarita pizza that did not disappoint. The crust & sauce was amazing. I also ordered the spicy strawberry margarita which looks small, but packs a punch! I'd highly recommend this place if in the area.

We walked up, no reservation. They had a table. They are dog friendly too. Pizza was excellent. Very authentic. I am sure they had a very fancy pizza oven. I would come back for sure. Nice place to eat.

We were full from a big lunch and went in for drinks and a bite. We sat at the bar and were served immediately. The bartender was very friendly and helpful with the specials. We got the tomato and mozzarella plate and two of Ma's meatballs. The plate came with thick slabs of bread that was perfect with olive oil, and balsamic glaze. Tomatoes were fresh and the mozzarella was buttery and delicious. The dinners that came out around us looked and smelled great, but we we could not fit another bit after finishing off our apps. Certainly would go back hungry next time.

We had dinner at Ava’s and absolutely loved it! Our favorite meal of our entire trip! The patio was perfect with a rain storm coming in the atmosphere was picturesque! Food was perfect and the beignets were AMAZING

The garden was like a secret oasis the we did not expect to find while looking around for a place to eat. Don’t be fooled by the bar in the front, it’s a proper wine garden with excellent pizza (tried onion and chefs fav)

Came in here for a quick bite to eat and was very impressed! We came in for a late lunch, but only got a small pizza because we weren’t that hungry. We got the mushroom tart specialty pie, which tasted great. We wanted to get the bolognese pie, but our friend was vegetarian so we couldn’t. Our waitress was nice enough to bring out a side of the sauce to dip in! It was great. We will definitely be coming here for dinner next time so that we can try more pies!

Do you like dry pizza, that's mostly just crust? Does no cheese make it even better? How about 35 minutes to get that beer you ordered? For the chef's kiss, how about you and your food sitting directly beneath a dripping vent. If this sounds like a fun night out, then look no further! All joking aside, the place was a little busy, and the manager was clearly hustling. If the service was just slow, I wouldn't even give it a second thought. Our first server, who handed us off to tend bar, is the bar tender who took 35 minutes to fill the order that she took. Before our main dishes arrived, we asked our second server if we could relocate due to the 'rainfall', but we were told that all other tables were being held for reservations. The empty table next to us sat empty for most of the time after we asked to switch, but was then taken by a couple that walked in with no reservation. I was excited by this place and the excellent reviews, but needless to say we won't be returning.

Jenna provided superior service. Very friendly and attentive. Onion tart pizza was excellent. Portion size perfect to share. Meatball sliders are amazing. Make sure you get extra sauce on the side. Inside seating or outside seating. Plus bar seating. Unisex bathroom downstairs plus an upstairs bathroom. Parking on the side of the building. Highly recommended

Dining at Ava's gives you St. Michael's charm. Along St. Talbot Street, this Italian restaurant inside a 19th century goose picking warehouse is charming. The staff remember your name and flawlessly recommend the restaurant's best dishes. For lunch, I ordered their $5 meatball, which is the recipe of the owner's grandmother. It comes out thick, smothered in red sauce, and filled with herbs. It was delicious! For my main, I ordered the "Chef's Favorite" thin crust pizza. Red sauce, cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and balsamic come on top of chewy thin crust. It was very delicious and filling. For dessert, I ordered the beignet trip, which comes with 7-9 big beignets and a tray of nutella, cream, and strawberry sauce. The server takes them out of a bag filled with a mound of powdered sugar. To drink, the server kept my Arnold Palmer full. It was refreshing! Ava's was started by a New Yorker who vacationed in St. Michael's. Noticing an absence of Italian spots, he opened one and it's grown into several locations!

Ava's Pizzeria blew us away--honestly some of the best pizza we've had in the DMV area! The crust was perfectly crisp, the toppings were fresh and flavorful, and every bite tasted like it was made with love. You can tell they take real pride in what they serve, and it absolutely shows. It's rare to find a place that hits that perfect balance of cozy, casual, and truly delicious. We sat out on their adorable patio, which was not only super charming but also family- and dog-friendly--huge bonus points for that. The vibe was relaxed and welcoming, and our server was fantastic--attentive, friendly, and just the right amount of helpful without being overbearing. Ava's is the kind of spot you want to keep coming back to, whether it's for a casual weeknight dinner or a laid-back weekend hang with friends and family. PS. Get their Detroit style pizza. You won't regret it!!!

Fantastic dinner tonight at Ava's! I had the meatball sandwich which was HUGE and delicious. Definitely tastes homemade. And the focaccia bread was warm and fresh. Soooo good! Great music and wonderful service! Thanks for a great last meal in St Michaels!

We live in SoMD and frequently visit St. Michael's by boat. Ava's is our favorite restaurant. The New Orleans style BBQ shrimp, are truly reminiscent of BBQ in NOLA. Their green bean prosciutto salad is one of my favorite salads. My husband loves their meatball sub. He will make the 1.5 hour boat ride just for that sub. The only thing we've had that we don't love were the beignets. They were nothing like the ones we've had in NOLA. They were quite hard. Maybe we just got a bad batch, but we wouldn't order them again. The service has been hit or miss for us. Sometimes it's great and other times it's a bit slow but they do get very busy. The courtyard is very cute, and the beer tap fountain is a cool touch. They also have a fireplace for days when it's cold.

Visiting St. Michael's for the Labor Day weekend. We purchased 10 pizza for the tiki boat ride. We arrived early and there was a wait....but let's me tell you it was worth it. The service was outstanding, as the staff worked to satisfy our order and the orders pouring in from in-house clientele. The ambiance was quaint and small town with everyone in the village enjoying pizza as family. I had the vegetarian pizza and let me tell you.....off the chart. I WAS STUFFED and worked to find space to finish the entire pizza...If you go to St. Michael's and not try the pizza you have missed a treat.

So, I'm long overdue for a negative Yelp review, and Ava was saved in my drafts. In 2025, I did have a mixed-bag 3-star, but otherwise the 11 reviews of 2025 so far (Ava will be #12) have been positive/mixed 3-star (in the one case). One weekend every June from 2016-present, I've (along with other friends) have gone to my friend's parent's 2nd home out in Bozman. The nearest town with businesses is St. Michael's, which a cool town, with shops, history, restaurants, & is overall quaint. Ava's is one of those quaint looking historic homes. I visited twice with a group in 2018 & 2019. In 2018, I remember I did really enjoy the pizza, and pizza is my favorite food, so I wanted to go back again on the 2019 trip. In 2018, we ate outside on that hot day as seating is pretty limited. There was a cool outside bar tap on a stone wall at the bar area. I remember the service was not particularly that cordial, but it didn't really stand out that much, and the enjoyable pizza was the more prevalent consideration in wanting to return vs. the negative. In 2019, six of us had sat inside, and the server I remembered was snotty to me & to the table in general. I remembered service was very slow too that day. I also remember we were given a hard time about splitting the checks too. I paid credit in 2018, but had paid cash in 2019 (as there was no Ava's on the June 2019 Chase bill) as I remember we were pulling cash together to try to figure out our payments. Although I don't remember all the specifics from almost 6 years ago, but I remembered the general idea of the snotty server, and I remember I said to the 5 others at the table in a pissed tone, I'm never coming back to Ava's (after the bad service). Although pizza was good, there's plenty of better places I've had closer to my home in the DC area, and even Sam's in St. Michael's is tastier & a lower price. But my main beef was the terrible customer service.

The food/drinks always good at Ava's. I've gone there for years and will continue to do so. Staff friendly and accommodating . Just check your bill make sure no added charges for 'extras'

Thank you, Bunny! Good food and drink. Even homemade beignets!! Dogs welcome on back patio.

I have to say, rarely do I give a restaurant 5 stars (how often do you find a "great" restaurant?). But my spouse and I were totally pleased and satisfied by our dinner, including appetizers, sides, and dessert. The celebrated meatballs lived up to the hype; we had no complaints about any of the food. The service was excellent as well. To top it off, when we had trouble extricating our car from a tight spot in the lot in the back, two staff members came out--unasked--to guide us out. We will be back.

Delicious pizza!! There is also great deals each day - we went on a Thursday and got a free pizza with the purchase of a bottle of wine.

We attended st Michael's MD for an annual girls trip ...this place had the best pizza and drinks!! Get the onion tart thin crust pizza! Absolutely divine! We had Zoey as our server and one of the girls had many allergies and she double triple checked to make sure she could eat the meal she was ordering. She went above and beyond! We truly appreciated her ! Restaurant was a great vibe for lunch or dinner! It wasn't too hot sitting outside as well!

We had a late lunch here on Saturday. My wife ordered the arugula and prosciutto pizza. It was very good. The crust was cooked the way we like it. Everything was well seasoned. My son son's split a margarita pizza. They both talked about how good the mozzarella cheese was. I had the meatball sub, I can tell you it was delicious and I had a very difficult time finishing it. It was so big.. I would highly recommend if you like meatball subs splitting this with someone else. We seated in front of the main window windows. They have a nice screening that allows fresh air in, but you still get to enjoy the cool air conditioning with the days are hot. I would highly recommend this place and will definitely eat here again.

I had a great meal here. I had a pizza with sausage and feta cheese and it was delicious. The red wine was great with the pizza too. The restaurant had a nice vibe and the service was good.

An absolute bop! Our mushroom tart with mozzarella, provolone, mushrooms, red onion, truffle oil, and arugula was devoured with the quickness. All of the ingredients tasted so simple and fresh, it felt like a guilt-free experience. I met a local by the bonfire at Wildset the night before and they recommended adding a side meatball to our meal for about $3. My single meatball was BUOYANT and THICCCCCCC. My husband and I happily split one and used all of the extra red sauce to sop up the crust from our tart. Thank you random couple for the tip! Wine selection was amazing and the service was wonderful. I'd definitely come back!

I went to Ava's for their 2 for 1 pizza night but because I was in a large party I had to put a deposit down on my credit card ($15 a person!) After the meal I learned the deposit could not be taken off my credit card and therefore that amount could not be used for the 2 for 1 deal. When I complained to management they could have CARED LESS. I got 0 compensation. No pizza is worth being treated like a commodity.

I must rave-a for Ava's! This meal was one of the highlights of our St Michaels trip. We had the meatballs and they were delicious; easily a top 3 meatball I've ever had and I am body by meatball. We also got the Meat, Meat, Meat pizza and the Pig Pen! Both were perfect.

Best lunch place in St. Michaels. Food and service are consistently good and it's our go-to when we are in town. Drinks are good and the place is well run. The thin crust pizzas are darn tasty and well-cooked and the bogo deal on Mondays and happy hour deals are a winner. Their frequent diner program is also very generous so sign up for it and it gets linked to your credit card. Easy peasy. That said, I do wish for two things: less background noise on the patio (especially the tables closest to the water feature where my coat always gets splashed) and the special seasonal salads being offered again.

Hands down the best pizza in St. Michael's. We went for dinner at 5:30 so we could get some of the Happy Hour deals. We had the mozz plate, half order of penne alla vodka and the chef's favorite pizza. Everything was amazing and flavorful. Washed down with a few glasses of red wine too. Highly recommend sitting down stairs if you can

Great vibe. Fantastic food. Excellent service. We sat at the bar and thoroughly enjoyed our first visit.

I am confident that this would be a five star review if I had been able to sit in the inside dining room. The outdoor dining room was nice and the bar tap fountain was cute but the flying companions were a bit too annoying for my enjoyment. To the credit of the establishment there were fans on the table to ward off the insects. Beyond that little drawback, I had a fabulous dinner. I can't express enough how good the dealer's choice wine was. I wish it came by the bottle but had no hesitation ordering more glasses of it. My husband and I enjoyed the spinach dip appetizer and a couple of the gourmet pizzas. It was a unique spin on a comfort food that was a culinary treat.

Stopped in again and it went as well as our first trip. Ordered the meatball and focaccia as an appetizer and they were superb. The meatball was so tasty and topped with great marinara, but the focaccia was so good, made perfectly and accented with some olive oil and vinegar drizzle for dipping. An entree of penne in vodka sauce was very good but once again the Detroit style pizza was absolutely perfect. If they could franchise this pizza and sell it nationwide they'd make a mint.

Wonderful pizza place. The restaurant had very home-like and small town vibe. Despite being very busy (came in right after a race), servers/hosts were ready to take in a large group of people. We were seated very quickly and served very quickly. The Detroit style pizzas were delicious, as well as their regular pizzas. Truly enjoyed the flavor of the pizzas and it was hard to leave any leftovers. I'm only providing a 4 stars because of the size of the pizzas being a little small. Despite the sizes, it was very filling for my friends.

I will be craving pizza for Ava's for the next forever! I had their white pizza/Detroit style, yes, simple, but it was delicious. The mozzarella is made fresh, which makes such a difference in good pizza being great. I enjoyed their blackberry mojito and coconut mojito, which were both excellent. Service was good and attentive. I will definitely return when I am in that area again.

Our favorite place in St Michaels - everything else pales in comparison Food - The Detroit Pizza is the bomb! With Pepperoni or other toppings always the best - Great apps as well including Meatball Sliders Service - Service is usually very good Ambiance - Great location on Main St in St Michaels

Service was much improved from a previous visit. Pizza is still the best. And the covered patio is great.

Delicious artisan pizza, friendly service, nice patrons! Visited during St Michael's Chocolate Festival. Despite being busy, patrons were very friendly during our wait time, and even offered up a seat for a friend needing one. The Mediterranean and Meatball pizzas are so delicious! Pretty atmosphere in the sunny back room with plants and a fountain. Looking forward to returning here soon!

Blue mussels appetizer, Watermelon salad and Heirloom tomato pizza were outrageous. Hand tossed brick oven pizza had a perfect thin crust. Quaint restaurant with great waitstaff in beautiful St. Michaels. Very good price/value relationship.

A group of us had a fun dinner on Ava's patio last night. The food is consistently good in a very pleasant atmosphere. The staff are always pleasant. Somehow Chris teaches them to act as if they own the business. Now the hard part. We still miss the short ribs, Chris. Whatever is holding up the return, we hope you can solve it. The new patio chairs don't match the height of the tables. Shorter people feel like they're sitting in a hole. Those chairs were a mistake. Kirke Harper

The food arrived and not a word was said by anyone at the dinner table. So yea, this place is really good.

The Detroit pizza is incredibly delicious. The crust is always cooked perfectly. Sat at the bar and the bartender was great.

Visited this place on our 3-day getaway and were pleasantly surprised to find such a great restaurant in a quiet town like this. We stopped by for lunch and ordered a Margherita pizza and a Shrimp fra diavolo. Both were fantastic! The pizza was cooked to perfection, and the pasta had just the right amount of spicy kick to it. Highly recommend to folks visiting this town!

Ava's is a town favorite and quickly becoming my go-to spot in St Micheals island. I have been for dinner twice and now lunch. The staff is always fun and entertaining. They are always helpful and willing to share the specials and pairings. I have tried the meatballs which are amazing, the pizza, and pasta dishes. I have never had a bad meal here and I expect that you will enjoy this restaurant. I always sit next to the beer sculpture between the fireplaces on the covered patio. It's like sitting in your own back yard with landscaping, landscaping, a massive canopy, and a private chef!

Great atmosphere & food . Service is always great. I always try to sit at the bar Molly is awesome.I always eat here when I go St Michaels. Highly recommend Ava's.

Tasty lunch spot! The meatball was super flavorful - the bread was soft and tasty - ask for a side of sauce on the side for dunking!

The place itself and staff deserve a higher rating. The margarita pizza a solid 3.0. This pizza had about the same amount of mozzarella on the whole pizza that I would expect on one slice. I don't know how they think this is ok. The gaps between small pieces of mozzarella are huge so the pizza is mostly sauce and crust. If you are going to sell pizza you can be skimpy with the cheese. Won't go back.

Great food, service and ambience. It was my bFF's birthday and we reserved the room upstairs for 10. Perfect because we had one baby one toddler and one 10-year-old. Plus a lot of adults.... Surface was pretty good, even though we're upstairs from the kitchen. But the food was.... We were there for the Monday night, Bogo.!! 4 to 6! Had pizza, salad, and wasabi oysters are insane!! then the piece de la resistance was the bag of fresh out of the oven beignets!!! Omg!!! Beyond!

They deep dish pepperoni pizza was rather mediocre, and the service generally sucked.

Best Detroit pizza I have ever had, artisan pizza is amazing too, great atmosphere and wonderful customer service.

We sat at the bar for Happy Hour and ended up getting snacks. The prices were worth every cent. The drinks were wonderful. The bartender was friendly and she offered suggestions. The tomato bisque was truly a highlight of our trip! How something so simple can be so delicious astounds me. My partner had a meatball and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Very good pizza and wine. The place was nicely done, great service too. We also like the salad.

This was my first time at Ava's. I felt like I was at home. The hospitality and homemade food was everything I could of hoped for. I ordered the fried Wasabi Oysters to start. They were some of the best I ever had. The wasabi paste wasn't too overbearing. The balance was just right. I also had the New Orleans BBQ shrimp. It tasted more like jerk. It was good too. For my entree, I had the chefs specials pizza and had the server add on the homemade meatballs. I could not leave without trying them. The meatballs were prob the best I ever had. To drink because it was so hot outside, I ordered the Limoncello Spritz. It was very tasty! I would give Avas 5 stars.

This is a great bar and pizza joint. Very friendly bartenders and staff, good drinks, local beers and really good pizza.Kinda small location so reservations recommended through their website if its a busy night.

Great home town vibe. Short rib sandwich was also very yummy. I came here over late winter/early spring and town itself is pretty quiet. Restaurant itself seemed very busy so service was a bit slow. However friendly staff definitely made up for it. Will definitely stop by again.

Wow I started coming here when they first opened....its has been years since we came back. When you walk in the door at happy hour and it is empty ...it should tell you something. Food it is just food . Wedge salad 3 leaves of lettuce?? The food is just not what made this place famous Please do not waste your money here . There are other great options in St Michaels. I will be surprised if Ava's is open a year from now Sad , very sad !!

Husband and I shared the mushroom pizza and had the Ma's meatball appetizer. Both good and had the best waitress! Great service and food!

Delicious Detroit style pizza! And best chicken Marsala I've ever had! Cool atmosphere too!

Extremely noisy atmosphere, mediocre service. Not our first time here, but we went with another couple and we could barely hear the conversation among us, much less the server. I had the Detroit style big pig", which was good. The toppings could have been more generous, for a $21 individual pizza. Ava's excels in their pizza crust, which is crisp/chewy. My husband had the Reuben pizza, which was good but very sparse on the toppings. Service was not attentive; extra dishes and glasses were only cleared if you put them right by the server and asked her to take them. Second drinks were not offered until close to the end of the meal. Not my favorite pizza place.

Stopped by Ava's on Saturday night for dinner. We ordered the white onion pie and made our own pie with jalapenos and pineapple. The latter was a tasty combination. Wouldn't be offended if someone copied it! Along with the two pies we ordered a shrimp entree. We got the spinach dip, and mozzarella, tomato and basil salad for starters. It was all delicious. The service was a tad slow, but this may be because they were busy. We were seated upstairs and it felt cozy like you were in someone's house.