O'Brien's Oyster Bar & Seafood Tavern

A true hidden gem in a tourist area! As a local, I usually avoid restaurants in tourist spots, but this place completely surprised me. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the service was outstanding. Special shoutout to Grownmecole, the bartender — he’s polite, fun to talk to, and always on top of things, making sure everything is taken care of in a timely manner. Definitely check out their happy hour — the deals are unbeatable, hands down. This spot turned out to be an amazing find, and I’ll absolutely be back!

We spent the afternoon in Annapolis and had dinner at O’Brien’s. The food was delicious. The crab dip appetizer was to die for, and the crab cake sandwich with the side of brussel sprouts was on point. Definitely would recommend to others looking for a great meal in Annapolis!!

The atmosphere was authentic. Tried several different types of oysters as well as the crab cakes but definitely recommend we'll visit again!

We came during happy hour and sat at the bar. My husband and enjoyed a Loose Cannon and I ordered an Old Fashioned. Next time I’ll know to specify this drink. Muddling the orange and cherry (?) is a crime. Nice to note the bartender strained it when I asked him. 40 years of drinking and this was a first.

I loved my pumpkin crush drink and ALL of our food was scrumptious including the fried oysters, oysters rockerfeller, crab cake platter, and halibut.

We got 2 dozen raw Oysters 🦪; Grilled Salmon with Spinach and Mashed Potatoes; and Fish & Chips. The food was pretty good, however we think my boyfriend got sick from the Oysters. The waiter had a bit not an attitude at 1st, and then started giving me nice compliments. The restaurant wasn't that full and I loved the mirror walls. Unfortunately, it seems that the waiter gave themselves a $100+ tip. The owner did compensate for the wrong-doing to try to make it right.

We went for early dinner and were seated right away.. we preferred to sit by the window and waitress was nice and patient. We ordered the Annapolis Crab Cake Platter and crispy shrimp. The crab cake was all lump crab meat and tasted okay.. the Brussels sprouts were very good , the potatoes were okay… the crispy shrimp and fries were good too, it would have been good if it had some kind of sauce or aioli. It’s a good place in the Main Street for food.. The Ambiance was very rustic and felt inviting..

O’Brien’s Oyster Bar is a great spot in Annapolis if you’re looking for good seafood and a fun bar atmosphere. The oysters and seafood options are really good and the overall vibe of the place makes it a great stop when you’re downtown. The service was friendly and the food came out quick. Definitely a solid place to grab oysters, drinks, and enjoy the Annapolis waterfront area.

We absolutely loved this place, y'all! It looks like a small, Main Street sidewalk spot from the outside, but, walking in, we were shocked. It's a huge and beautiful restaurant full of incredible history in there, and dinner was DELICIOUS! Full stop! The Wasabi Soy Nachos were a super-fresh, crunchy start, my Chilean Sea Bass was out-of-this-world yummy, and Hubby's Honey Garlic Salmon was on point. He loved it! It was a truly lovely atmosphere, the service was excellent, and it's a must visit while you're in Annapolis, y'all. We'll definitely be back! Thanks, O'Brien's!

The food was mediocre, not expecting much being as annapolis is a very touristy area. But the service was unbelievable, the waiter didn't introduce himself, just walked up and asked us if we had an idea of what we wanted, i asked for more time, he came back up and asked we knew what we wanted yet. we ordered, and after that he never came back, we got our food, ate, and sat there. He only came back with the check. First time trying this spot and will never be coming back...

Came for restaurant week. They had a great variety of items to choose from on the menu. The restaurant was not busy so service was relatively quick. The bartender that served us was very helpful. The half cream of crab and half Maryland crab soup was very good and full of big chunks of crab meat. I also ordered the crab cake which came with aioli potatoes and honey old bay Brussel sprouts. The crab cake was a good size but could have used more old bay. The potatoes was good but the Brussel sprouts were my favorite part of the meal. The honey old bay combo on the Brussel sprouts works so well. My friend ordered the spicy Cajun seafood pasta which was good but slightly salty. I tried some with my crab cake and the crab helped to offset the saltiness of the pasta. I ended the meal with a slice of cheesecake and it was just ok. Nothing to write home about. Overall, the experience was solid and positive.

On a very nice late Saturday afternoon, we enjoyed an outside meal at O'Brien's before heading back to DC. O'Brien's is in a great location on lower Main Street, close to the water. Our first visit three years ago was fine and our experience this time was good. Service overall was pretty decent. JP started with a very well-prepared gin martini. He also ordered the Oyster Sampler and the Annapolis chicken wings. The oysters, that came with a dipping sauce, cocktail sauce and horseradish were fresh and delicious. The chicken wings, seasoned with Old Bay, were cooked perfectly and tasty. I ordered the Cream of Crab soup. It had a rich buttery flavor and some crabmeat. I did like the soup even though it was salty.

This is the my first time at the restaurant. And what I would say. The customer service is top tier. The serve with a smile. And the food is outstanding. Happy hour prices is one on the best in town. $9 bucks goes a long way. And all the food GOOD! Keep up the good work....

We got 2 dozen raw Oysters ; Grilled Salmon with Spinach and Mashed Potatoes; and Fish & Chips. The food was pretty good, however we think my boyfriend got sick from the Oysters. The waiter had a bit not an attitude at 1st, and then started giving me nice compliments. The restaurant wasn't that full and I loved the mirror walls. Unfortunately, it seems that the waiter gave themselves a $100+ tip. The owner did compensate for the wrong-doing to try to make it right.

This had to been one of the worst dining experiences I've had. The food was quite good, but man the front of the house needs some serious help or we just had the worst server ever. The dining room has that historic type vibe and was really nice. Our server (should have caught her name: it was like Angelina or something) just disappeared for the longest time while the tables next to us all had different servers, got their drinks and their food, while we were still waiting. It seemed like she was also serving people closest to the bar, while we were seated towards the back. I had to flag their manager for us to order our drinks, appetizers and kids meal. Then she finally appears and said sorry and took our entree orders. Again the food was quite good. However, It took forever to get our second round of drinks after that we decided to get desserts elsewhere. Now the kicker we had to flag someone else for the bill, since our server was nowhere to be found and that lady who took our bill came back to me and more less accused me of not providing my credit card to her. I told her I put in the check cover and she came twice said nope. Then another nicer lady helped out, went to the bar and found my credit card. No apologizes whatsoever. Can you believe that? I was so appalled. I'll never recommend this place to anyone anymore.

The service was great- no one is there during lunch time. They seemed potentially under staffed though. The crab cake was alright, the sides tho were good with that platter. The fish and chips was tasty and very filling. The chicken sandwhich was also alright. Nothing special and a little over priced. We wish we went somewhere else for lunch.

Stopped in with friends for a cold drink and sat at the bar. We needed a short break after a morning looking at boats. The place has been here forever and is a popular locals hangout. Old tavern feel interior, dark with heavy wooden details. Our bartender was friendly and professional, we each ordered a different libation and a couple pub snacks. Our drinks were each made to order and well prepared. Our snacks arrived within a few minutes after our libations. A little on the dive side, but also comfortable like your old favorite pair of shoes. 3.5 stars - it served its purpose 01117

Ok spot located in downtown Annapolis. Since they had their large sign advertising their orange crush, I went with one of those. It was delicious! We were there during brunch hours, so I went with breakfast. Yes, from a sports bar. It was tasty! Service was friendly behind the bar.

Had my daughter in town for a visit and as we were wandering through the downtown area, she started to get hungry and mentioned that she would enjoy having something light such as oysters. We were somewhat pressed for time, and I told her we were a bit away from the few places I knew, and she commented that she saw O'Brien's down the block. I warned her that O'Briens fell into the "tourist trap" category and we should consider foregoing a stop and venturing back home. She was willing to experiment so we decided to give it a try. (As I had never actually eaten at the establishment) And, yet again, the Yelp community was spot on. O'Brien's is nothing special. It's good on the main drag of Annapolis's downtown, and that's all I can say We wanted a quick bite and ordered 2 small Maryland crab soups and a half dozen oysters O'Briens has three choices for the soup: cream based, Maryland crab, and "half and half". We ordered the Maryland crab soup. The waiter verified we wanted Maryland crab soup. Twice. And when our soup arrived - we were presented with cream, with a dollop of Maryland - so not even "half and half". We did send it back as neither of us could do dairy. The waiter expressed his confusion with what we ordered and said he would be right back. It took a while , bit we finally received our order. As I said. It was food. The soup was ok. The oysters were fresh. The accompanying sauces were fair: average cocktail sauce, average horseradish, average mignonette. Brother bad. Nothing great. So. If you wander past O'Briens on Main Street and are tempted to grab a bite, just know what you are in for. Average fare at best, with average service

Come here often! Food is great and the vibes are so fun! Has a nice espresso martini recently!

Stopped by yesterday for brunch! The staff was ALL wonderful and super hospitable. We grabbed some drinks and some breakfast. Neither disappointed! The only mix up was my friend selected ham as her protein, was charged but did not receive it. We sat in the backside garden and it was beautiful, not to mention we had it all to ourselves!

Came here because my friend's reservation at a different restaurant had a wait time that was over an hour. Establishment is decor is Irish pub inspired. Our waitress Katie was phenomenal. She was very accommodating and friendly. The food wasn't bad. They serve brunch until 2PM and have both their brunch menu and regular menu available. I ordered the crab pretzel and omelet with crab meat. Both were tasty. I only gave this place 4 stars because the manager seemed to rush us a little.

We decided to take a drive up to Annapolis and enjoy an evening out by the water and try out O'brien's and it was well worth the trip from DC. We tried the crab dip, steak, shrimp pasta, and crab cakes. Everything came out so hot and fresh and flavorful. I loved how the crab cake had basically no filler, and was full of so much crab. The drinks were also pretty strong and literally full of the rim. Everyone was so friendly and kind, and everything from drinks to food to dessert came out rather quickly. Highly recommended trying out.

I was surprised what I just considered a Pub would have some of the best food in Annapolis. This crab pasta with vodka sauce is good every time I am there. The vibe inside is very light and definitely a bar atmosphere with friendly patrons and great service.

We went for early dinner and were seated right away.. we preferred to sit by the window and waitress was nice and patient. We ordered the Annapolis Crab Cake Platter and crispy shrimp. The crab cake was all lump crab meat and tasted okay.. the Brussels sprouts were very good , the potatoes were okay... the crispy shrimp and fries were good too, it would have been good if it had some kind of sauce or aioli. It's a good place in the Main Street for food.. The Ambiance was very rustic and felt inviting..

We were in DC for a few days... decided to take a drive to see Chesapeake Bay. Found this restaurant thru Google. Such a wonderful location on the marina! Parking garage around the corner so that made it even easier! I ordered the Fish & Chips (my typical standby). It was served hot...yay! The fish was acid and was very good. The fries were also good! The coleslaw was so good.... Wish there was a bigger portion! Others in my party ordered the Crab Cake Platter....oh I wish I would have ordered this! All of the crab cakes I have had always have fillers like breading and bell peppers.... There was no filler with this crab cake.... Just crab!! We sat outside and it got chilly quickly...I normally like being on the. Oiler side but even I was chilled! I would recommend this place. Only issue-Service was a bit spotty.

I stopped in at O'Brien's for lunch the other day with my fiancee. The restaurant must have been designed by a Dr Who fan, because it looks kind of small and unassuming from outside, but definitely stretches back a long way, with a very beautiful bar area. Our waitress was great, and recommended the half and half soup. It's this gross sounding mix of maryland crab soup and cream of crab. Manhatten meets New England. I don't know how or why, but they blend together and work -- it's delicious. I think it worked better if you don't mix it, let it sit like oil and vinegar and get hints of the other in each bit of the one. I also got a cubano sandwich. It was great, with good portions. Perhaps a little light on the pickle, but still good. Ironically, the weakest part of my meal at O'Brien's Oyster Bar was... the oysters! I got a sampler, with three different types, skipjack, choptank, and "prime." I have no idea what the prime is. However, none of them had any flavour. No brine, no sweet, nothing. And, a couple (out of six) weren't properly shucked. Maybe late August lunch gets low quality ones, but I left feeling disappointed in my oysters, and from a place that describes itself as an oyster bar, that's pretty sad. (Also, to be honest... I expect an oyster bar to have more than two local local sellers from the same region and a mystery 'prime.') I would go back for soup and a sandwich... but maybe not the oysters again.

Excellent oysters and bottomless Bloody Mary! Our server Kim was fantastic and understood the assignment when we mentioned we had a cruise scheduled and we couldn't be late, so she made sure our dishes came out fast. The vibes are cozy Irish pub and welcoming. Will definitely return next time I'm in Annapolis!

I could not choose what to eat here because it all looks so good! And it WAS that good. I had the Lump crab vodka pasta and it was so buttery, creamy, and rich. I have been craving it ever since. So delicious. My friends got the crab cakes and said they rocked! Love the side options for it too! The only thing about this place is that at 10pm on the dot it turns into a night club. Do we had an 8:30 res and as we were wrapping up they were literally charting away all the tables around us and turning on strobe lights. There was a huge crowd of people waiting on us to finish our wine. So we got out of there. Was totally fine but wish we were warned and something you should consider if you want to eat late.

The service was poor, my wife only asked for a refill of water and had to wait 5 minutes. I could understand if the restaurant was full, but wasn't. The food was mediocre and not hot.

We had the opportunity to meet some old friends for a socializing lunch today and the experience was fantastic! As always, the food was outstanding and the waitress was an absolute pleasure to interact with. As the restaurant was not very crowded, they were gracious enough to let us remain at the table and socialize while we nursed our drinks. I have been a fan of O'Briens for years, but this was the first time we came to enjoy the experience, not just the food, and they did not disappoint! If you are ever on Main Street and feeling hungry or thirsty, take the time to enjoy the restaurant.

Why I have never reviewed this location before, after my many visits - I have no idea. This trip to O'Brien's was like no other. Good drinks, good oysters, and great employees. Hence why I've returned multiple times. After work days, football "there's a game on tonight" days, just because days, GO!

We had a Birthday Dinner today at Obrien's Oyster Bar and Seafood Tavern . I had the Linguini and Meatballs . My Pasta was well cooked and had a tangy meat sauce . The Meatballs were great . Excellent service !

We stopped in for brunch on Sunday morning and were seated by the window which was nice because we could people watch as ones strolled down the street. There were not very many people in the restaurant but the inside is very charming. Our server, Krista was attentive, but not bothersome. Very friendly and welcoming. I ordered chicken and waffles and my husband ordered an omelette. You get plenty of food and the coffee was good. I loved my chicken and waffles - just enough salty sweet flavor. The omelette was stuffed full. But the reason we took off a Star is because the omelette was lukewarm.... and the potatoes were almost cold!!! But it is a charming place, and if we get back into the area, we would give it another try.

Sat outside for happy hour around 3PM. Nice happy hour, fresh orange crushes for $8, assorted apps and oysters for sub $12. Had a crab cake sandwich as the main. Everything was good, although I wish the calamari had the sauce on the side instead of on top. Service was great. A bit on the pricey side if you're not looking at happy hour.

What a great bar! Food is amazing. Billy and Megan are attentive and friendly. Every time I come to Nap town, I love to eat here.

The carb risotto was amazing. That's a meal all by itself. Service was great and didn't have to wait for anything. Definitely a worthy stop

The Annapolis Crab Cakes dish was delish. Enjoyed Tina Poke, Crab Dip, Prime Oyster, shrimp plate and two lager beers. Good service.

We made an impromptu decision to try this place for my daughter's bday dinner. Waste of time and money. First we made a reservation then called into confirm and not once was made aware that it turns into a club. When we arrived we were made aware it wasn't ideal but since we came all the way we stayed. They said we had a hour and the dj would start at 10 . That was a lie they actually started at 9:40. Anyway the server was actually great. The food was horrible though. We ordered the cream of crab soup, oysters and seafood crepes. Pissed me off. A crepe is thin and dainty. They gave us a seafood stuffed pancake. I will not be returning. Besides our server nobody one really made us feel welcome

I have only been to the bar, so can't comment on table service. It's a large bright bar area with a great Happy Hour menu that's worth chasing. Oysters are always clean and well shucked. The Prime burger is great also. Bartenders are friendly and the service is quick. I don't really like their draught beer selection. A bar this size should have more to choose from but it is all pretty generic. Nothing from local craft brewers, no browns, no interesting IPAs.

I came here for a quick lunch. I liked my old fashioned cocktail. The shepherd's pie was ok, but not much flavor. The fish and chips were crispy and delicious. Overall, I thought this was a solid place for bar food and drinks. The vibe was casual and the service was good.

This was my first time here. I came for the weekend with my friends to visit Annapolis. I must say for a busy day they sit us fast. The food arrived in a timely manner. Only one complaint I have about the restaurant is that my friend was not feeling well and we ask the waiter for a piece of bread and butter for her and supposedly they don't serve breadanyways it is a ok place, we were just very tired hungry and hot and didn't want to walk around to look for places to eat, but there are plenty of places to eat around Main Street

The rye old fashioned was fantastic. I'm a fish and chips snob, and found myself devouring them with hardly any tartar sauce. Highly recommend. Fantastic service and love the ambiance. Very welcoming, and good vibes from greeter to wait staff to bartender. Wonderful meal all the way around.

This place was festooned w/St. Patrick's regalia. They had a piper! We sit down and order the Guinness and it's not served in a proper pint!! This is NOT a proper pub, this is just plain wrong, JesusMaryandJoseph wrong. Then I got my dinner. Corned Beef & Cabbage. The corned beef was from a cow that died in vain ( thank you Jimmy Buffett). This "pub" has to be on the ten worst pubs in America list. If you like ambience but don't care about food and drink this place is all for you me boyo

The food here is catered to tourists and overpriced. Good location and historical value. What I ordered was not what I expected, but the drinks are good and strong.

Beautiful day to eat seafood. We were greeted by friendly faces and our waiter patiently reviewed the menu. We ordered the cream of crab and it was delicious. The clustered crabs were AMAZING. This place never disappoints.

Hidden GF gem. They don't advertise it, or mark it on their menu, but O'Brien's has gluten free crab cakes and dedicated GF frier! (It's tough for someone with celiac to find either of those). Our server was fantastic and pointed out GF options as soon as he knew there was an allergy at the table. Grilled Caesar also hard to find, and theirs was amazing!

The food is amazing and the drinks are wonderful. And the bartenders are great! Billy always makes you feel right at home and makes some of the best drinks. Highly recommended! A++

Was walking around Annapolis for the day needed to grab a quick bite for lunch. This place was convenient, had plenty of outdoor seating, and the staff was very nice. They tried to push their crabcakes, but they seemed pretty expensive and we were looking for a quick lunch. We ordered a prime rib sandwich and a corn beef Reuben. I must say the fries were very good! We thought our sandwiches were average, but for the price they did the job.

I ordered the fajita steak hash (which, ironically isn't even listed on their current online menu) and it was not served with steak that would be used in a fajita. It was served with sliced steak that is used in roast beef sandwiches or maybe it was the sliced beef that would be used in a steak and cheese sandwich. But it was not pieces of steak it was slivers of shaved steak. It was NOT what I was expecting and it did not taste very good. Also the hash part of the meal felt premade and in a random circular form. It wasn't crunchy like hashbrowns normally are. I ordered a crabcake on the side the crabcake was really good but it came with a weird sauce or cheese or something on top and that was not on the menu. I did not like that. The nice thing was that the manager come around to check on all the tables and he respectfully listened to my suggestion about changing this dish to make it with real actual pieces of fajita steak and not slivers of shaved, then pieces of steak or roast beef. The bacon was fantastic!!!!

My boyfriend and I were looking for a brunch spot in Annapolis and decided to give them a try. It was nice and clean inside but kinda dim and dark. We wanted to sit outside, but Unfortunately the outside area was closed (not sure why). Anyways we decided to try the steak and eggs off the brunch menu. Per the menu, it comes with 6 oz steak, eggs, breakfast potatoes bacon and toast. I figured how could I go wrong with steak and eggs... right? Well it was the worst steak I ever ate. It was boiled and looks like they threw it on a grill just to give it the grill look. Or it could be that it was cooked the day before and just heated up. It was not fresh and was soft like it was boiled in water. Not sure what was going on with it but it was so bad and when I tried it, I immediately spit it out (see pic). I could not bear to chew it nor swallow it. On top of that, they had it sitting in a sauce that was not at all disclosed in the menu description. The sauce was nasty as well. The potatoes were not crispy and fresh. They were soft and boiled and tasted like they were just heated up from yesterday. I hated to complain to the waitress but there was absolutely no way I was going to not inform them. The waitress was very nice but not as attentive as she should have been ( lacking refills). She offered to change my meal for something else so I got the 2 egg breakfast which came with all the same stuff. Ughh that was nasty too but I just ate a few eggs, the toast and that's it. Even the bacon was nasty which is rare to experience but it was. Ughhh nothing was on point. Waste of time and money and left hungry and not satisfied. On top of it all, we were overcharged for the bacon that came with the meal. Luckily I realized it and pointed it out. She charged us a side of bacon when it came with the meal. Not sure what that was about but if I did not pay attention to receipt, I wouldn't have even known. Not sure how that mistake could've been made if it clearly comes with the meal but the waitress refunded it (In cash tho) since it was noticed after we paid. Just not a good experience. I'd recommend only for drinks but do not order food here or you will be disappointed.

We stopped by on a Monday night and were pleasantly surprised considering the negative reviews. We have never had better steamed shrimp and the crab cakes were outstanding! Delicious Brussels instead of fries were terrific. The bartender was friendly, professional and went out of his way to make our experience wonderful. We will be coming back often and have recommended this place to others.

Went here on a Thursday night with my family. We are all from out of town so we were looking for the quintessential Maryland seafood experience. We got in on the tail end of happy hour and quickly put in our orders. As a table of 6, we all ordered something different with the idea of sampling the menu. We got some oysters, some cocktails, crab soup, stuffed fish, beet salad, seafood pasta, a little bit of everything. The drinks took forever to arrive. It wasn't even that busy. My bloody mary was very plain, and the old fashioned my father got was watered down. The soup and salad were good, but I asked for dressing on the side which didn't happen, and other orders didn't come with the right sides. The meal was fraught with minor issues. We did get a comped salad but this place was running more on hype and history than service and food.

The crabcakes are amazing!! So is the service. I recommend it 100%. Come for a beer and oysters delish.

And outstanding happy hour chicken wings so good half-price drinks a great place to visit I will be going back again

Great Food, Beautiful Day. Our server Tomorrow was very genuine and attentive. Went for dinner on Saturday night was seated right away and served with a smile and professionalism

I was craving some oysters and O'Briens was a great choice. Stopped by during happy hour with a friend. We had everything from the oyster rockefeller, freshly shucked oysters, steak nachos, and the steamed shrimp. The steamed shrimp were huge and they gave us a lot for HH. The oysters tasted really really fresh. We weren't fans of the rockefeller ones. Swear they put honey mustard on the oysters vs cheese. The service here was great. We came during a crowded happy hour time and our waiter was awesome. With current Covid measures they take it seriously. The entire staff is wearing gloves and masks. All of the diners are required to wear masks when you aren't eating. Good place to come during happy hour to try different seafood items. I'll be back to try their tacos and other seafood dishes