by Lynne O’Meara, Southern Maryland Restaurants
Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar in Leonardtown is a true local gem. This new restaurant (open since January) serves elevated and eclectic cuisine. The interesting menu along with the flavors of the food bring fine dining to Southern Maryland.
Sweetbay has an interesting story. A group of St. Mary’s County friends wanted to bring an upscale restaurant to the area. They teamed up with Washington, D.C. restauranteur Peter Lupo (Magnolia and Scarlet Oak) to bring Sweetbay to Leonardtown.
Reopened in July (after COVID-19 shutdown), the restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. The dining room is upscale and comfortable, with a sleek bar. The woodwork and decorations are beautiful.
More importantly, Chef Marcel is serving fabulous food. The night I went, we started with the Brussel Sprouts. They were prepared with bacon (everything is better with bacon), breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and balsamic reduction. They were delicious. Our entrees were Colossal Crab Cakes and Lobster Ravioli. The crab cakes were seared perfectly and full of lump crabmeat. They were on top of a bacon (again…bacon), corn hash with a beurre blanc sauce. The hash was spectacular. It had potatoes, tomatoes, corn, green beans, and bacon all consistently cut to provide just the right flavor combination. The Lobster Ravioli had a lovely, light vodka tomato cream sauce and was full of large tasty pieces of lobster. We ended the meal with Crème Brulee. Crème Brulee is my favorite dessert and this one did not disappoint.
In addition to the amazing food, Sweetbay has a full bar with delightful craft cocktails, wine, and beer. A recent specialty cocktail was Frozen Blackberry Rose…that sounds delicious!
In keeping with a restaurant of this caliber, the service was outstanding!
They offer a couple daily specials:
– Mondays – 50% off sharables and specialty cocktails
– Wednesdays – 50% of all bottled wine
Reservations can be made through Open Table (app and website). Carryout is available by calling or ordering on the restaurant website. Check out the link below for the most recent online menu.
Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar hours are:
– Monday through Wednesday – 11:30 am to 9:00 pm
– Thursday through Saturday – 11:30 am to 9:30 pm
– Sunday – 11:30 am – 8:00 pm
Link to Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar menu: https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.129/f7y.a1a.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/JULY-23-menu.pdf
Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SweetbayMD/
Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar website: www.sweetbayrestaurant.com
Rating (out of 5):
- Food – 4.8
- Service – 4.8
- Ambiance – 4.8
Total – 4.8
Sweetbay Restaurant & Bar
- 22680 Washington Street
- Leonardtown, MD
- 240-309-4148