Zahniser's Dry Dock - Solomons

A bit tucked away from the boardwalk area of Solomon's Island, this elegant restaurant overlooking the Back River offers a delicious surf and turf menu. We opted for the ribeye and shrimp and lobster on Polenta, paired with a bottle of the Argentinian Malbec. Beautiful way to spend a Saturday evening. Highly recommended.

It's been nearly two years since my last visit to the dry dock restaurant. Last night some friends convinced us to go and give it another try. There have been a few changes in the intervening two years, but for the most part the restaurant remains the same. Still fairly small and intimate with about 8 to 10 tables inside and a similar number outside. We had a reservation for 6 p.m. We decided to dine inside as it was a little bit cool outside. If you're going to go during the week, Wednesday evening is a good time due to the sailboat races at Solomons Island. You can watch the race participants depart zahnheiser's Marina and return a few hours later. The menu is a lot smaller than I remember it, but there still should be plenty to keep you interested. They even feature a ramen dish which I guess is in keeping with the current hipster rush toward Asian fusion cuisine. We tried the tenderloin steak, and the shrimp polenta cakes. We started off with the amaretto shrimp dish. That was just okay with not much flavor in the shrimp which leads me to believe they hadn't been marinated very long. As well the amaretto sauce was fairly thin and did not adhere to the shrimp. Later I dipped some of the complimentary dinner rolls in the amaretto shrimp sauce and found it to be very flavorful. The 6 oz tenderloins can be ordered prepared in a variety of different manners. I asked for the pepper encrusted and the steak that arrived was very similar to a steak au poivre. It was tender and flavorful and cooked exactly to order. You could order it with seasonal vegetables or a side Caesar salad. I opted for the seasonal vegetables which turned out to be asparagus thar was expertly prepared. The dish also came with a small pot of very good gravy. My bride went for the shrimp and polenta cakes, which I tried. They were large and what I would describe as just okay. The tomato base sauce on the shrimp and polenta had an unusual taste, which may have just been a little too much basil or dill. But she liked it so I guess to each their own. For dessert we went with a key lime pie which was fine. Service the entire evening was very good without being overly obtrusive which is no small feat in a restaurant this small. The only drawback continues to be the pretty high prices, you can figure on paying in the mid thirties for an entree. As always my rating system is three stars for restaurants to which I would return, four stars for restaurants at which I would like to be a regular and five stars for restaurants to which I would drive out of my way. I'm happy to see that the dry dock has climbed back into the three star range in my system.

My family and I went for dinner this past weekend and I'm still dreaming of the Amaretto shrimp and crab tomato appetizers. This was such a great find plus, it has a beautiful view of the marina. I ordered the scallop and crab bake, it was heavenly. We all loved our dinners so much we went back the next morning for brunch. This didn't disappoint either. Quiche of the day melted in your mouth. The hostess and waitresses were are very friendly and accommodating. It was our first time visiting Solomon's Island and I think we will be back exclusively for this restaurant!

While I was away New Years weekend I had the chance to brunch here on NYE. Maryland is known for their crab and although it's not the season damn! Dry Dock delivered. I was torn between the Crab Eggs Benedict and the Crab and Scrambled Eggs. My counterpart went with the Benedict so in lieu of ordering the same thing (it's a major no if you dine with me) I ordered the scramble. Hot damn. Creamy eggs scrambled softly with fresh dill and lumps of fresh crab meat. It was served with an English Muffin and fresh fruit. Fruit right? I know what you're thinking. You can tell a lot about a place by their fruit side. This was a slice of soft, juicy honeydew melon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes. It's been a long time since I've had cantaloupe or honeydew and I forgot how good they can be when they are served ripe. I'm talking melt in your mouth good. The ****** Mary I ordered was spicy and served with Old Bay on the rim. Apparently, you can call these breakfast bevies a ****** Maryland. How cute. The patio was closed but this place has beautiful scenery so you've got a killer view no matter where you sit. It's a bit on the pricier side, but worth every penny for great service, a killer vibe, and great food.

Cute this place tucked into the yachting center. We sat outside and enjoyed the view of the boats on the water. We ordered a lavender lemonade, brown derby, oyster Benedict, and ham hash. Everything was delicious and the portions were very generous. Easily the best place we dined in Solomon's.