Pirates Cove Restaurant
4817 Riverside Dr, Galesville, MD, 20765
Pirates Cove Restaurant Menu
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Address :
4817 Riverside Dr
Galesville, MD, 20765 - Phone (410) 867-2300
- Website https://www.piratescovemd.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Sharon W.
After an unpleasant experience at another restaurant, we retreated to Pirates Cove for lunch. We were greeted warmly and since one of our party knew there was a covered deck (which they call the "veranda") we requested seating there. There were 5 of us so after a minute or so our table was ready. We were right on the water with views of the dock and marina. It was drizzling and there was a breeze so we enjoyed watching the boats bobbing in the water. The 18 month boy behind was beyond thrilled and kept pointing and saying "boat, boat". Very sweet. The food was delicious. We ordered crab dip for the table and it was hot and served with 2 small loaves of crispy bread. The granddaughter had the salmon topped with crab imperial special; husband had the fried oyster platter; daughter the cream of crab soup and a salad; friend the crab cake sandwich; and I had cream of crab soup and a small Caesar salad. A few Bahama Mama's were consumed at our table (not by the driver or granddaughter) and they were nice and fruity, but not overly strong. The cream of crab soup was rich and I should have ordered a cup rather than a bowl. My small Caesar salad at $3.00 was a bargain and really good and fresh. Granddaughter's salmon with crab was delicious (since she finished my soup I got a taste of her meal!) The crab imperial topping was really generous and creamy. The crab cake eater was impressed that it was a "real tomato" on her sandwich, though in rural Maryland you wouldn't expect anything less in August. With the platters you have a choice of 2 sides, which include the standard fries, slaw, but also healthier choices like a cucumber salad and the vegetable of the day, which was asparagus. Husband was disappointed when he realized that he could have ordered asparagus as a side, but wasn't paying attention so missed out. Oh well. Our waitress was fantastic and a manager checked to make sure everything was going smoothly since a party of 15 had been seated right before us. Water view, Bahama Mamas, good company. I think we could cope.
(4)Kimberly V.
Nice view, ambience, friendly staff. Calamari and drinks were great. Was a bit disappointed in the broiled seafood platter, fish looked like it sat for a while, so I didn't bother trying it. The complementary bread basket and crab dip filled me up before dinner, so no fowl there. My husband got the seared scallops and liked them. My son asked for naked extra crispy wings with sauce on the side, but they were spicy when delivered...he managed to eat all of them anyway. Guess they like to make things the way they like it...and it is good, so, don't mess with it? Lol. Will not hesitate to come back and try something different. Crab balls were good too.
(4)Rebecca T.
I'm looking for the neg stars options. So disgusting!! From being seated at a dirty table, waitress w snout hanging out of her nose to the warm mayo crab dip and even cold crab soup. We did a walk out... They asked if we wanted a Togo box?! Ha! R u serious?! I wouldn't feed my worst enemy this so called "food". Good luck.
(1)Angela S.
Yum! Fresh. Great food every time. Everyone loved their lunch. The salads were fresh and delicious. Seafood dishes were absolutely perfect. No matter when you go...summer or winter, the food and ambiance are perfect!!
(5)Woody M.
Nice place to eat and greet. We have kept our boat here for the last 6 seasons. Bob runs a great restaurant, hotel, marina and bar. We always have a good time at Big Marys. We like the Cove Oysters and the Cream of Crab Soup.
(4)Dave S.
We decided to keep our boat here for the winter. That's an indication of our confidence in the marina and our appreciation of the restaurant. Updates to follow.
(4)Matthew P.
I have heard from several people that frequent the Cove that the food is actually "good". BUT, you need to go for the "early bird" special... eat dinner at 430P and you will have some good service. However, on the day that I ate there - Mother's Day - total abortion. From food to being completely under staffed, I mean it IS MOTHER'S DAY! One of the busiest eat-out days of the year. I could go on about the food, apps, etc. Might try again - but pretty unlikely.
(2)Stephanie N.
Had a very short wait, less than 10 minutes, on an early Sat. night visit, and seated at a great window seat looking over the dock area and across the river. The food was much improved over our last visit. Fresh, appealing and nicely presented. Service was prompt, and friendly with no feeling of being pushed out the door. Maybe they got a new manager and/or a new chef - first time I'd ever been impressed with their food.
(4)Travis W.
Spent our good friends 40th bday lunch here on the boat. We were a little skeptical based on the reviews, but were very surprised how amazing our experience was. Laney was our waitress and did an great job serving our table of 6. So glad we made the trip. Try the grouper sandwich blackened and not fried. So good!
(5)chris v.
Great service and atmosphere (why I have any stars, if it were just for beers and location I would give it 5 stars) food quality was really poor. Crab cakes in Annapolis on the water should be great, I've had better in Arkansas. The rest of the food was marginal at best unfortunately. But our service was excellent and that makes up for a lot.
(2)Robert L.
The staff was very friendly. The food is nothing to write about. Very bland.. Mistake on order. Apparently there is a super secret monthly special menu. Which was confused with the normal steak and crab item. Sirloin is not filet I am pretty sure, hey it was steak. No harm no foul right? First visit, we were very under whelmed. Southern Maryland could really use a couple five star restaurants.
(2)Connie N.
Excellent ... Had the crab cake /crab imperial special . Beautiful views! We all had it and loved it. They have outside seating but was a little chilly...
(5)Mickey S.
Not too bad, but not great either. Passable. Was seated on the patio, and enjoyed the view of the sail boats in the marina, and a storm was going through, and enjoyed the breeze and a bit of the rainy mist. The server attended us in a timely manner. I was seated with one other guest (two total), and she forgot to bring me my drink, but brought me some water. No biggie. She brought me the Pepsi I requested, and brought a second one at the same time. I'm not a fan of servers doing that. By the time you finish your first drink, the second has gone flat from melted ice, and to me it seems they do it to save themselves another trip. Lazy. The server did come check on us now and then. Fine. But we weren't seated all that long. Other people were there much longer, but she brought us the check and didn't bother to ask if we wanted or needed anything else. She said she wasn't trying to rush us. To me, when servers do that, even though they say "oh, don't rush. I'll just drop off your check," it still implies, "please hurry up and leave." Could have done better. As for the food: I found it a bit expensive for the amount of food I got. 6 pieces of fried shrimp, some fries and a small cup of cold slaw. The food was good, though, and it was brought out rather quickly. Of course, it seems to me you're paying for the real estate you're eating dinner on as well. So, to sum up: Food was good, service wasn't bad, but could have been better, and the view was beautiful. The place was very clean. The hostess' that greeted us were nice, too. Yes, I would go back.
(3)Dee N.
Never ever step foot in there - ever !!! Large party of friends, the waitress was rude and pure nasty. We were told we would have the room in the back and we decorated it but other people were seated with us. Felt bad for them. Only one waitress for 25 people in our group. Then the waitress was upset we wanted separate checks. She said several times how she busted her butt for us! The food wasn't bad though. Upon leaving they wanted us to take our decorations with us. Then one of our party guests heard the waitress say "glad those old pain in the asses are leaving - they made me work my _s_ off for them!" Us old people are late/mid 40s and 50s. The manager offered a free shot and apologized. Perhaps they should have scheduled another waitress with a better disposition next time huh! None of us will EVER go back.
(1)Viv J.
I had lunch yesterday and it was my first time in Galesville. The restaurant was old and rustic but i could appreciate the country living down in Galesville. It was peaceful and calm. The view was great overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. The food was pretty good. We had the crab cake sandwich with fries and coles slaw and fried clams. The crab cake could have been bigger. After all, you go to Blue Dolphin, Hella's, etc you get more bang for your buck. On a side note, The waitress dye job was terrible. It was bright red and I thought that I would need to go grab my shades. I was surprise because the atmosphere seemed so laid back. I think that I might take my grandmother there because it was very old fashion looking and she loves seafood.
(3)DC S.
I've been going to Pirates Cove since I was a kid; I'm now 36. One of the few places you can take your boat and dock for free in AA County. The view is lovely; even in the winter while dining indoors. Most visits prove the clientele is older than that of the adjacent Key West style Big Mary's Dock Bar and Thursday's, next door. I've never had a bad meal here. The fare is typical Maryland seafood dishes as well as burgers, etc. On my last visit (with my parents and older family friend) we were seated on the lovely sun porch. The table was tiny, understandable in the summer months with so many patrons. However, it was a Sunday evening post-Labor Day. Our server just didn't get it right. We had a bottle of wine (white) as well as a few cocktails for the table. Though not an expensive bottle, she did not provide any attempt to make sure it was acceptable upon opening. After pouring me a full glass I noted the glass I was given was dirty and she told me, "it just came out of the dishwasher", but ok, she'd get me a new one.Upon her return, she poured the already spent wine from the old glass into the new. Again, not an expensive bottle, I can get over that. And then....she placed the open bottle on the table (nearly 90 degrees out this day) and left it to warm. Though not a large party, we ordered several salads and apps. The crisp salads with tasty dressings arrived along with clams casino that were quite good. Sadly, the entrees arrived only minutes later. With no room on the small table we were forced to give up our first courses to make room. Also to note, the menu states, in very small print, "bread available upon request". The breads are delicious; do yourself a favor and load up on your carbs for the week; request a basket. All of the dishes were quite tasty. Just goes to show how a first class meal can quickly turn into a so-so experience. Our server was certainly friendly, just didn't have any training. If you're reading this and think I'm being too picky, I guess you've never had an "ok" dinner that could have been great. After tax and tip (yes, she still received 20%) the check was over $60 per person. Even if I'm wearing flip flops, at that price I feel the service should be reflective.
(2)Megan S.
I love this place. It is the only place I even bother ordering Crab Imperial anymore, because no one else makes it as well. I've been here dozens of times, and would recommend it highly to anyone, but also wanted to share how they are during special events: Brunch - If you told me that eggs benedict with crab was good, I would have generally brushed you off as some sort of psychopath who is out to destroy eggs benedict, but WOW - it actually is very good! Brunch outside on the dock during the summer is one of the best experiences you can have in South County, and I highly recommend it. Thanksgiving - They do a wonderful thanksgiving buffet for families who for whatever reason can't cook that year. The food was amazing (the wine might have colored my memories on that), though they serve oyster stuffing instead of normal stuffing, which, ew. Not goin' there. I think the best part was the selection of desserts, and how they kept them well stocked. It was a bit packed, but even with so many people, they accomodated my wheelchair bound grandmother with ease, and were very friendly about it. Large Group - I had my rehearsal dinner here and the staff couldn't have been friendlier. They make good old fashioned mixed drinks, and the food was good and served quickly. I got my old stand by, Crab Imperial, and it was fantastic as always. :) They made my group feel welcome, and were great with the reservations. I'd definitely work with them again if I had a large party. The only caveat I have is arrive early if you have a handicapped member of the family. The handicapped spaces go very quickly, and finding close parking can be a bit of an issue during busy times.
(5)Tanner E.
The crab soup and crab imperial are possibly the best I've ever had. I'd definitely out of date as far as looks and interior are concerned but who cares as long as the food is good.
(4)Steve J.
My party of 6 came for lunch and overall, our experience was good. Some of our party are deaf and we discovered that the busboy had deaf parents and could sign so that enhanced our experience. We started off with the smoked bluefish appetizer. I have never liked bluefish but smoked as they do here hooked me. It came with chopped red onions and a horseradish sauce, yum!
(4)Heather B.
There is a stunning view here. It has a nice laid back vibe, lots of tables, just enough kitsch to keep you and the kids amused and is truly mediocre in many ways. We arrived at 7pm on a Tuesday night. There were about 10 tables full, and we were told there would be a 15-30 minute wait. There was only a 10 minute wait, and I assumed they were short-staffed. It happens, and i always feel sort of bad for the staff when that's the case. However, we were seated after ten minutes and never saw our server for even a glass of water for another 20 minutes. I overheard her saying she's working in the kitchen and serving tables, and she appeared to have 7 of the 10 filled tables. There was one other server, and I saw her all the time. It may have behooved them to give the server who was not working in the kitchen more than 50% of the tables, but alas. I ordered a single crab cake with a baked potato and green beans. The green beans were fresh, but really buttery, and the potato was fine. The crab cake itself had a nice texture; not too greasy, heavy, wet or dry, but it had no flavor. The meal came with bread (sourdough rolls and banana walnut bread. My allergies to bananas and walnuts meant I was afraid to touch 80% of the sourdough rolls, but the one I had was nothing special; neither sour nor crusty). There's very strange language about how bread is only available upon request and then you have to pay for extra on the menu. As someone with food allergies (see above) I appreciated the notes about how they work to accomodate food allergies, including gluten, and that they indicate what menu items are made with local seafood. All in all we were there for about an hour for a single course, but at least the view of the marina and of Thursday's Bar and Grill down the road was fantastic.
(2)Mark T.
Wife and I drove down from Annapolis for lunch on Sunday based on online reviews - we were looking to try somewhere new. We had to rate it a 2 because it's ok...but not great. Atmosphere is casual, with a beautiful view - just what we were looking for. Wife's food was not warm and appeared to have been at least partially pre-prepared. My crab soup was ok, but I've had much better. Crab balls were not that great..I've had a lot better. We would consider it a place to go again for ourselves, but we wouldn't take guests from out of town.
(2)Victoria S.
This place has a great view but that's the only thing it has...service is overly friendly to compensate for the horrible food. But it doesn cut it. Our crab soup was clearly from a can and served cold. When we sent it back, they threw it into a microwave and it came back with a skin on the top. Disgusting! The pasta was greasy and just tasted like packaged soup with seafood in it. It's sort of quaint but also has a Southern MD atmosphere...decor is small town, country nic nacks, lots of teenage kids working there and locals who probably don't know what good food really taste like. (Yes, I am a serious city snob...I admit it.)
(2)Nick S.
I'm going to copy the words of another reviewer: go here for the view, not the food. I don't eat seafood, so my selections were always slim. I always ordered pasta (which, like all seafood restaurants, they don't put any effort into making since it's not seafood) so I'm not the best person to judge the quality of the food. I will tell you this, though: Pirate's Cove is a great hang. In rural areas like this, it is considered THE place to drink beer, eat seafood, and watch the game. I was too young for that sort of thing, but it was fun watching the drunk rednecks get upset over the Steelers missing a touchdown. It absolutely devastated them. And, if you don't like to be inside, you can walk along the marina, which has a charm all its own.
(3)Nina E.
I agree--go for the view, not the food. I've been to Pirate's Cove about five times and the things I've tried there have not been good: the steamed broccoli on the side of a plate of grilled chicken was so waterlogged that a puddle covered the whole dish and soaked everything else on it; rubbery flounder; horrible green beans that had to be from a can. Although last time I was there the table next to us had a nice-looking plate of fried calamari, so it might be okay for certain seafood dishes. The place does have a nice local, community feel to it, and if you're tripping around south county you just want a beer and a view--and no broccoli--it's not bad.
(2)Les B.
We go here quite often and have never had a bad meal. Some entrees are better than others, but the food is consistently good and the service is always good. The only time we had a long wait was on a Saturday night in August, and the place was completely overwhelmed by the number of people coming in for dinner and wanting to sit out on the patio near the water. We try to go on Sundays and have enjoyed many great meals out on the deck without having to wait for a table.
(4)Ashley B.
2 1/2 stars is more like it, but I'll round up. Just came back from dinner here and probably won't be going back. The restaurant in itself is kind of dirty and outdated, like a McDonald's would look at the end of the day. There's a nice water view but much of it is looking out on a large dock full of boats. As far as the food, it was good, but overpriced. The crab dip was pretty tasty. My crabcake was good but came on a stale bun that just crumbled apart, as did the bun on my husband's fried grouper sandwich. Everything had seafood in it and was a bit on the expensive side, even for seaside restaurants in that area. Even the herb chicken (which sounds like an entree from a convalescence center) was like $17. There are so many decent seaside restaurants in Annapolis, Deale, and Chesapeake Beach that I'd recommend going elsewhere.
(3)Jen W.
Myself and my family have been regular patrons of this establishment for over 35 years, celebrating family reunions, birthdays, and always stopped by once a month for their monthly special. While we have noticed a steady decline with the service within the last year but we decided to try it again for nostaligia's sake. A choice we highly regret. We arrived at the restaurant around 6 pm and did not see nor hear from our waitress until 6:20. After many attempts we finally managed to get her attention and ordered iced teas; which took another 10 minutes to arrive. In the meantime, we asked another young lady for a basket of bread. Instead of a casual "Sure let me get that for you" she responded with a terse, "I'm not your waitress" before walking off. It was nearly 7pm before we had the chance to order our appetizers and entrees. In the iterim of ordering, I went to speak with the manager to request a new waitress. After my request it became clear that our waitress had been scolded by the manager, thus producing the horrible behavior that followed. From then on out we were blatantly ignored. Our food was dropped on the table without a word, we were never asked if we needed anything, etc. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt because I waited tables for years and sometimes you just have a bad day. Even though there was always a please/thank you/ yes ma'am from my table, the attitude never went away. It was nearing the end of our meal when we asked our waitress for the check. Her response was "In a second, I have to take care of my other tables first." We then watched her wait on 4 of her other tables for another 15 minutes before my guest herself went to the manager. My guest was very upset because we were unsure how to handle the tip. We are never ones to stiff the waitstaff and asked the manager for his advice. His advice was to do what we wanted and he would throw in a free dessert. Not exactly the type of answer we were looking for. We waited another 10 minutes and then the "fun" really began. Our waitress had still not returned with our bill when we managed to flag down the other waitress (the one who did not want to give us bread) and asked her for our bill instead. To which she responded, "Quite frankly, your waitress is not going to bring you your bill because you're rude." I felt like I had been slapped in the face. I did not understand how we had been rude and yet again asked to speak to the manager. "Go ahead, he's aware of the problem." As my guest and I stood up to leave the young lady chased me through the dining room full of customers screaming that I had been rude, that I should be ashamed of myself, and embarrassed for my behavior. To this day, I still do not know what we had done to upset our waitress or this other young lady so much. Neither one was able to articulate what we had done that deserved this horrid treatment. Our waitress had since disappeared from the scene and allowed this young lady to do her "dirty work." It was then that the young lady became physically agressive. I managed to get past her to the manager's office and as I stood in the doorway she pushed herself in front of me, blocking the door, so I was not able to speak with the manager. She continued to verbally assualt myself and my guest. Screaming obscenities and other foul statements. Certainly not what you would expect from someone in the customer service business. After her verbal attack, I was able to tell the manager her reponse when I had asked for the bill and asked why nothing had been done to stop this behavior. His response was shocking. "You came to me at the end of your meal, what did you expect me to do." I told him I would be more than happy to call the police because of this young lady's threatening behavoir and to avoid a theft of service charge. It was then and only then that he agreed to take care of the bill and sent us on our way. Never once did he tell his employee to stop screaming at his guests nor did he ask her to refrain from being physically agressive. The next day I called the owner and made him aware of what had now become a saga of a nightmare. He told me he would investigate and call me back. I did not hear from him for 2 days, when he finally called me he said "I'm sorry this happened, we were short 2 girls that night. I hope we will see you again soon." That's it. Nothing else. I was stunned. I was hoping for some sort of apology from their waitstaff. But I suppose the owner does not care about lifetime customers, or families that have been patrons of his establishment for over 3 generations. We will never go back again. I am more sad then anything else. We have experienced wonderful memories here as a family, and I am sad that a family run restaurant allows their employees to behave in a grotesque manner. It is such a shame to see what was a terrific restaurant with great views, turn into to a such a horrible place.
(1)Jessica P.
Great view of the water like the restaurant next door (thursdays), certain menu items are hit or miss. A good place to get shrimp or sit there and pick crabs during the summer and their biscuts are good pre-meal. This is more of a locals place but ,a step up from the place next door. It's a close tie to Mikes Crab House in Annapolis but, the service needs to improve a bit ( we waited forever).
(3)Jim F.
If you want to have a beer and looks at boats and water, you might want to try this place. Be sure to eat a good meal somewhere else before you go because the food we were served was horrible! Crab salad (without a single piece of lump backfin) - a shrimp salad that tasted like cardboard, etc. Also very disappointed that the actual menu was missing most of the items shown on the menu on their website - no Oysters Rockefeller, no Crab Imperial. Not sure what happened to make the place different from what some of these other reviewers experienced, but I'll never even consider going there again.
(1)Debby C.
We went to this place on a beautiful Saturday evening. The food was reasonably priced and good. Service was excellent and the view was outstanding. I'm looking forward to returning.
(5)Ann B.
Go for the view, not for the food. The service can be spotty. Some nights I get good service, other nights.... not so good. The food runs the gamut. Don't expect to get anything beyond average - stick to the basics, and you'll do OK.
(3)Lee C.
Pirates Cove is a great traditional Maryland dock-side restaurant. This is where I go for my crab fix when I visit my parents. The crab cakes and soup are excellent. There are lots of windows with a beautiful view of the river. The atmosphere is small-town and laid-back and service is friendly.
(4)