Boats & Hose at Chapel Cove

Boats and Hose is a local favorite, with a uniquely Eastern Shore look, feel and taste! When you hit Cambridge turn West, drive until there is nowhere else to drive and you’ll find the incredible small town of Taylor Island. You’ll find lots of history and old fashion ways of living down these parts. The restaurant has small parking, but it’s on a 2-lane rd, with little traffic so not much to worry about. Our server was knowledgeable about the history of the shop and was happy to share the history. Rider brought a basket of complimentary corn bread, She was attentive and lots of fun. I had a burger that was great. You could really taste the char! The fries were cold and unseasoned, but they had salt on the table. If I was in the area again I would stop by for a meal.

Ya’ll, 1 word: mmmmmmmmm 😋 If you have not been to Taylor’s Island to visit Boats & Hose, I suggest you run don’t walk. If nothing else get the crab soup it is amazing! 🦀 I feel like I’m telling on my favorite place and everyone will know-but it’s worth the ride! Sadly they were out of snakehead bites(don’t knock it because of the name-open your mind-it’s truly is a delicious fish that my opinion is better than Rockfish!) The soft shell nuggets are just perfect! Minimally dressed/battered so you can taste all that Maryland crab goodness! Fresh fish, served hot. Sides include baked pineapple, stewed tomatoes just a good option of standards and choices as the prices are very reasonable. nestled against the marina the views are epic. If you want to bring someone to see Dorchester County, this is a must stop.

Food is always amazing!! Great food and staff!

Probably thee ONLY restaurant I have ever given 5 stars to in every category. I always feel like there is some room for improvement. NOT HERE. Food was epic, service was outstanding, atmosphere was right up my alley and even the merchandise that is for sale was awesome and priced to move. My three favorites are definitely the corn bread, cream of crab and soft crab nuggets!!! Tracy was our waitress & she has mastered her craft!

Their food is great. I got the vegetable crab soup and it was fantastic. Best clam strips! Blue catfish with beautifully done and tasted great. Catfish can be iffy. For being from the south are stewed tomatoes are not at all sweet and these are almost like a dessert because of how much sugar is in them. That was the biggest complaint I heard at our table. So frequently when we come something isn't available for the beer is warm. This is a very busy restaurant and I can see them running out of things. Because the location is remote it's not like you can just run out and grab some more for the rest of the night's service.Some parties wanted to order beer and was told the beer was warm right now. I understand the limited space in the cooler but it would be nice if they would have cold beer in anticipation for the evenings crowd. If it is an offering it should be in a ready and available state when the doors open. This is a very busy place and the service is fantastic. Of course there's the usual mistake or two on the bills. But this is a high volume and noisy restaurant. That is to be expected. The staff have always been extremely attentive and kind then go out of their way to be helpful. The atmosphere is very chill and laid-back. Super casual and in a beautiful location. It is extremely noisy. And if you are unfortunate enough to be seated underneath the split unit the temperature can be uncomfortable. This is a fun place to enjoy the sunset with your friends or family. It isn't a romantic date night place. It's a fun date night place.

First time here, but still definitely be back. The owner used to own Old Salty's, and is you liked that place, you'll love Boats and Hose.

First time here. Met folks at the bar who knew our neighbors. Our bartender Cindy made a super White Russian and Manhattan. The perch was excellent, asparagus side was perfect. And let me just say that the house-made fried pickles were the best I’ve had in about 2 decades.

When I first heard my dad say the name of the restaurant, I couldn’t help but laugh. He insisted it was a great spot and that many locals in the Cambridge area recommended it. So I agreed, and he made a 5:30 Saturday evening reservation at Boats & Hose. That night, my girlfriend and I joined him and my stepmom for dinner, and I have to say, the experience was nothing short of fantastic. “Easy Rider” was our waitress, and she delivered outstanding service with a touch of humor. I ordered the jumbo crab cake entrée. It was February, which is technically the off-season for crabs in Maryland, but she assured me that it would still be one of the best crab cakes I had ever had. She was right! Absolutely zero filler, broiled to perfection, and well-seasoned. My girlfriend had the prime rib, a serious cut of meat and for only $33?! All in all? Boats & Hose is a charming low-key spot tucked away on the Eastern Shore. Every time I visit my old man now, I know where we’ll be going.

Place has a unique interior with tables and a bar area. Friend suggested we go here for lunch, so we drove an hour, and what a disappointment. Service was rough, attitude and almost nonexistent. Appears, if your not locals, or returns, your treatment is poor. Saw Same server, treatment at another table of "tourists ", same as us. Couldn't be bothered. The place was busy, with plenty of staff, so that wasn't the issue. Food, mediocre steak sandwich ok but salty, lots of meat with onion rings ok. Shrimp basket , fried breading limited to no shrimp poor. Not sure on all the 5 star visits, but I wouldn't recommend or run back.

This is a dive without a doubt. Food wasn't bad. I wasn't a fan of two commercial ice machines running next to us. They need to add to the building . The kitchen was small and packed and I mean packed with supplies and people. The food came out quick. The servers were almost running from one side to the other. Most of the 20 -30 plus tables were filled. I got the broiled catfish. It was under cooked but I could eat it all and knew I was reheating it the next day. The crab cake had a good flavor but a little dry.the snake head bites were good and very big. Well worth it and a light batter was perfect.

Our party of five are all locals who live in Cambridge. We had visited Boats And Hose several years ago and had a bad experience and had not returned. We decided to try it again and we are happy that we did. I had reservations at five and when we arrived, the restaurant was 90% filled, but our table was ready for us. Brian was our server and he greeted us immediately and took our drink order. Drinks, consisting of beer, vodka, tonic margarita and Manhattan were all very acceptable. Brian was clearly running around serving numerous tables, but he got back to us in a reasonable amount of time to take our order. We requested three checks and he said he would take care of that at the end. As you will see from the pictures, all food items came out very well prepared with one exception, which was the crab imperial which I was told tasted more like a crabcake in that it was not sufficiently creamy. For myself, I started with their vegetable beef soup, which was homemade and as good as anything, you could make yourself, loaded with vegetables and nice pieces of beef. I opted for the fried catfish and it was a huge portion, which allowed me to take half of it home. The fish was lightly fried and the french fries and coleslaw were spot on. I especially enjoyed the french fries as they were a little on the well done side, just the way I like them. Tasted like homemade tartar sauce, which went very well with the fish. clearly, the restaurant has taken care of their service issues as we were all surprised at how quickly our meals came out. We will definitely return and would strongly suggest you have reservations as there were people waiting outside as we left. It's also interesting that the restaurant is only open Thursday through Sunday.

Someone nicely planned for a lunch for my grandmother a weeks in advance. We get here and they have given the 'party room' to another party. Whoever took the reservation down didn't communicate it correctly with everyone else. Great I get it mix up. However the manager I presume ignored us and the issue for about 30 mins until I had to walk into the kitchen and others and ask her to come figure it out. We weren't asked to come in out of the heat no drinks were offered. Just ignored and pushed aside by all the staff. I will not be back just based off the poor professionalism displayed. Update: A customer just gave us menus and we had to ask a table to be bussed. Another update: We were finally informed that they were down 4 people. Our last group at one table didn't get food until about 3pm for reference we all go there about 12:30pm. I think some things could have been handled differently but they food was amazing and worth the wait. Our server did try their best but some things fell by the wayside. They kept seating people after 60 people came in at the same time which I think was silly. Portions were large and the prices were fair.

Our waiter was a delight. Very quick with the drink refills. The place was the old town general store. It was charming. They had two TVs for football fans but most people where the for the food. Lots of crab in the crab cakes and jumbo shrimp fried with cornmeal. Yum!

The food, the staff, the owner Jay, the ambiance, the people, the island, the water, the vibe, the views and the location - far away from the crazy world we live in - Boats & Hose is the best seafood restaurant on the Eastern Shore. Period. The great staff, especially Tracy and Sherrie! Terrific people who know how to treat people kindly. Go there and enjoy. I'm partial to the fired oysters and soft shell crabs. -Bernie.

Bit by bit we're exploring the Eastern Shore of Maryland, our new home. Yesterday's (9-20-24) destination was Taylors Island. We'd already read about a restaurant named "Boats and Hose." (The name's intriguing! Please check it out!) That was our lunch destination, though getting there was beautiful: through captivating marshes and pure country. The host and waitstaff were kind, warm, welcoming and helpful. The veggie soup was delicious. The clam strips were addictive. These were followed by a flounder sandwich and onion rings. We only sampled the latter two and brought those and the yummy cornbread home for our supper. Hospitality can't be taught, but it was built in to the menu and our experience there. We will certainly return! Cecily, Jürgen and our support Yorkie, TellCee

5 Stars - I sat at the bar and was treated to five star service from my glass of ice water to my chocolate brown dessert. Though I don't remember all the names.... from my bartender to the servers the owner everyone said Hello.

great location and ambience. loved the decor. however only 3 stars because the food was very underwhelming. super old school with minimal seasonings. by looking around i could tell that maybe i am not the intended demographic haha, i was a bit younger than the other guests. the sides like sweet potato fluff and corn pudding were the best parts of our meal. salmon was lacking, only seasoned with dill. definitely could have used salt and pepper but of course it was available at the table for me so not too much of an issue. the biggest issue was discovering a hair in the crab dip (which is served in a bread bowl... odd choice for something meant to be "dipped" into haha.) i understand accidents happen and luckily i wasn't completely turned off for the rest of the meal. our server was awesome and super apologetic. he handled the situation perfectly. forgive me as i forgot his name. overall... very average... not too impressed with all the other seafood focused restaurants on the eastern shore.

Such a wonderful experience! From the time you walk in the door the staff and customers are so welcoming. We drove an hour to get there because one in our party had been and wanted us all to go try it and it was not disappointing. Are waiter Brian was exceptional and we will request him when we return with more of our friends

Great little off the beaten path place to enjoy authentic Eastern Shore seafood. I had a fried fresh perch meal that was outstanding and my wife enjoyed her crab cake sandwich that was all crab. The sides were complements to a the main course.

The fried soft shell crab bites were delicious!! I will be returning for the cheese ... it was sold out.

Food always excellent. Staff friendly and attentive. We live 90 minutes away but worth the drive.

I'm a local and visited for the first time on Saturday since it's been under new ownership. We got there around 4 pm and noticed several tables had "reserved" signs. The bar at the back of the restaurant was already ringed with customers. Waterfront view of Chapel Cove and a space outside for events. The place filled up quickly after we got there. The atmosphere and customer service style were very Dorchester County. If you know, you know. You got what you asked for, and if you didn't ask for it, you didn't get it. Cornbread was served with our drinks, which was sweet, moist, and delicious. The entrees came out very quickly. I ordered the scallops with crab imperial with cukes & onions and a baked potato. The seafood was definitely fresh and the crab imperial had huge lumps of back fin-delicious! The cukes & onions were a bit too sweet for my taste. The baked potato was perfect, of course. My companion ordered the fried flounder sandwich and gave it 3 stars. The price point is relatively comparable to other places in the area. I would like to go back and try some of their other menu items.

Love this place. Short staffed like everyone else but be patient and stay happy. The food is excellent and worth the wait.

Beat crab cake you'll ever have! Beautiful location on Taylors Island and super friendly service.

Delicious food (AUTHENTIC Maryland Crab Cakes- with no filler) great atmosphere, even got to sit down and speak with the owner! They have a touchtunes speaker/jukebox so I can dine & play my own music!!

Well we have been in twice this summer and have had great food both times. Crab imperial is excellent. Kitchen is a little slow but worth the wait. Have another beer.

You must try the crab dip. It is delicious. We have been there twice in the last month. Coconut shrimp with pina colada sauce is very good. The staff is very friendly and attentive. His is our go to place.

First and last time to dine here. The dinning rooms look old and run down. My meal started off with a bowl of cream of crab soup, that was old in spots. I ordered a crab cake ($29.99), which was full of shells. Corn on the cob was a bit mushy, and my salad was full of rotting lettuce, blended with tender greens. All of that, along with a grouchy waitress. Very expensive. Surprisingly, reservations are a must.

Wow!! This place is amazing!!! Food, service and ppl! Everything we had was great!! We will be back.