Barbara’s On The Bay

Wow! In addition to NY fare, BotB has the nicest owner and staff. They took the time to introduce out-​of-​state visitors to the area’s highlights. Rare find.

My husband had the most tender and tasty pork chops he has ever had. I ordered the chicken quesadilla. The food was great. Service was wonderful. I would recommend this place to anyone.

We drove to Barbara’s from Chesapeake City for lunch and we’re so glad we did. The location is very nice with views of the water. We usually avoid waterfront restaurants because they’re never as good, but Barbara’s did not disappoint. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. We had the Hungarian mushroom soup… delicious! I might come back just for that. My husband had a build-​your-​own burger, which was juicy, delicious and perfectly cooked. I had the Flatbread… mushroom, sausage, carmelized onions, smoked mozzarella and goat cheese. Yum! Barbara visited each and every table (whether a local or not) to check on everyone and say hello. Nice touch. We will definitely return to try more things!

Let me just say how incredibly fantastic this bar and eatery is. In a gorgeous spot overlooking the sassafras river, Barbara’s is the place to be. The mushroom soup was to die for! I loved it!

Uncomfortable experience.
The most optimistic thing I have to say about Barbara’s On The Bay is that it is in a wonderful location, and their food is decent/​edible. If they had better customer service, they would be great.
Let me start off by saying that we were a large party of younger people (ages 20 – 30). Most of us have been in the serving business at one point or another, so we understand what it’s like to be a waiter and how important it is to tip well and be considerate. But we also know when we are being treated poorly and when things are not carried out properly, and right off the bat the servers made us feel uncomfortable for even being there. After we sat down, the server who came up to us said (verbatim), «So you guys are going to want all separate checks, huh?» Not even a hello or a welcome. We said, «Er…well if you could, that would be great!» She disappears and a manager comes out to gruffly state that it is not, in fact, possible for us to split the checks so we will just have to deal with it. We were only accepting to split the checks because the server offered to in the first place! It felt like we were kids getting reprimanded; we were all pretty baffled.
After that incident we ordered an appetizer of potato shavings for the table soon after we sat down (Potato shavings = tiny flakes of potatoes. They don’t offer fries as an appetizer but they do come as a side, which was interesting). But they never brought the potato shavings out until after our food had arrived. Or rather, sort of arrived. They forgot two orders. One girl in our party asked for a salmon salad with avocado, and when her plate arrived it was iceberg lettuce with salmon on top. No dressing, no avocado, no effort. I ordered a side salad, which translated to lettuce and a few chopped cherry tomatoes tossed onto a plate the size of a saucer.. Afterwards, they charged us an extra meal no one had ordered, but they didn’t reverse the transaction. «Whatever, just take it out of my tip,» said the server.
Towards the end of the awkward meal, the manager asked us to call ahead, («at least two hours in advance») for the next time we plan on arriving with such a large party.
Sadly Barbara, there won’t be a next time. That was by far the strangest dining experience I have ever had.

We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon, were promptly greeted and seated. Fun to look out at the bay views while watching the distant boats. Nice choices on the menu, but being summer we stayed with two classics — BLT and Soft Crab sandwiches. Both were excellent! The staff was personable and friendly and we’re already planning a dinner visit in the near future. If you’re visiting Chestertown, this is worth the drive!

Barbara’s has great potential. We have been in need of a great restaurant in our small Chesapeake Bay town. We have visited three times and haven’t been disappointed but we haven’t been bowled over either.
On a recent visit
I had the wings and my husband had the vegetable quesadillas. The wings were large and flavorful but the quesadillas missed the mark.
I hope in the future they continue to listen to their customers. We think they are worth a visit.

Amazing atmosphere with dining to match!
Beautiful view on the water with a fun family environment. All the servers were extra helpful and considerate.

Visited Betterton for the weekend and decided to try BotB for our anniversary dinner with friends celebrating the same day. We live in the burns of Philly so we had to try the Philly Pretzel with crab dip. It wasn’t highlighted as such but I would call it the signature dish… do not miss! It was enough for 4 and awesome. We enjoyed crab cakes, fish and chips and the Aberdeen sandwich. Barbara stopped by twice to make sure everything was good. If I lived in Betterton or close by I would be a regular.

First the good news. Great food!!! We had a few apps and a few different meals and everything was delicious. My understanding is that the chef is the owner.
So now the not so good news. The floor management is terrible. The service was very slow. We arrived at 6pm and left at 9:40pm! We had no drinks for almost an hour.
We were with good friends and in no rush but we had to mention that the waiting was just too much. They explained they were not staffed for a big crowd. I don’t know what they think a big crowd is but it looked like a normal busy Friday night at most places we go.
I think for locals looking for a great meal it will be fine but if you are from out of town and in the area on a weekend or other event time avoid the poor service and long waits.

First of all, Barbara’s on the Bay is NOT on the water. As you drive up you may be impressed by the view but then you realize that BotB is actually over a block from the water. You can see the water but is not certainly not a water view! There is a large hill with a pavilion blocking the view. The food was okay. I had the cream of crab soup but it was not creamy. I also had the chicken wings which were hot and flavorful. My husband had the burger and he said it was fine. The staff was courteous and helpful but not particularly attentive. Overall, it is a decent place to eat but don’t expect to dine on the water.

Atmosphere great. Barbara was wonderful to chat with. Want to come back in the summer, hang at the beach then come up for dinner. Had the crab cakes and ended with a very nice bourbon and homemade ice cream. Lovely location.

The crab dip is amazing. The service is good. And im always happy to see the building alive again.

Wow! Finally got to Barbara’s new place in Betterton. So many friends have been talking about how nice it was and the great meal they had there in Betterton. Coming up from Chestertown was well worth the 15 minute ride in the country. I had to have the Aberdeen Rumble that was everything I heard! My wife and friend each had the scallops special and they were done perfectly. We saw so many friends there last night we didn’t want to leave. Or yeah, the Chocolate Pie was a home run!
Check them out on Facebook!

We are so over the moon excited to have a really good place to dine on this end of the county! The décor is clean and fresh which goes perfectly with the food. This little gem is gonna be our new favorite spot. From the fabulous Scotch Egg to the bountiful wings to the perfectly moist pound cake everything was amazing! I can’t wait to come again. Come by car or by boat or by bike it doesn’t matter just get here!