After spending the afternoon wandering through the shops in St. Michaels on my first-ever visit to town, I found myself craving one thing for dinner. A really good burger. Actually...a really good burger with crab dip on it. Naturally, I started searching for somewhere that could satisfy both cravings at once and landed on Carpenter Street Saloon, a laid-back local watering hole that's been serving up food, drinks and good times in the heart of St. Michaels for decades. Their menu had both burgers and crab dip, but not together. Challenge accepted! I arrived around 4:30pm on a Friday during Fourth of July weekend and somehow managed to snag the very last parking spot in their small lot. Even better, as I walked inside, a booth just inside the front door opened up. The adventure gods were clearly looking out for me! The atmosphere was exactly what I was hoping for. Folks were gathered around the bar enjoying drinks, conversations filled the room and absolutely nobody cared that I had wandered in by myself for dinner. Sometimes that's exactly the kind of place you need after a long day of adventuring. I studied the menu for approximately three seconds before asking my waitress what I assumed would be a ridiculous question. "Could I get a burger...with crab dip on it?" Without missing a beat, she smiled and said, "Absolutely! We actually used to have that on the menu, but nobody ordered it." I couldn't stop grinning! "Well," I replied, "I'm somebody...and I want it for dinner tonight!" One more vacation victory! For $16.00, my custom Bay Burger arrived piled high with rich, creamy crab dip and melted cheese dripping over the thick burger patty exactly as I'd imagined it. It was everything I'd hoped it would be! Juicy burger. Creamy crab dip. Gooey cheese. The combination just...worked! In fact...it worked so well that I briefly considered ordering another one before remembering I still had dessert plans later that evening. (Responsible Adult Alexis eventually won that internal debate.) I chose the coleslaw as my side, and while the flavor was really good, it was a little drier than I personally prefer. That's entirely a preference thing, though. If you're someone who likes a less creamy coleslaw, this one will probably be right up your alley. My Diet Pepsi was $4.00, bringing my total to just $21.20 before tip. Honestly, for a custom burger loaded with crab dip in the middle of one of Maryland's busiest holiday weekends, I thought that was an excellent value. Carpenter Street Saloon isn't trying to be fancy. It's comfortable. It's welcoming. It's the kind of neighborhood bar where locals and visitors alike can settle in, enjoy a great meal and relax for a while. If you're visiting St. Michaels and find yourself craving a burger, do yourself a favor...ask them to bring back the crab dip burger. Apparently nobody orders it. Except me. And now hopefully you! read more

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Came in for a bite to eat on a rainy Sunday. I warn you it get very loud inside if it's busy during the football games between the rowdy bar attendees and the game, but if you sit in the other half it is a little better. The food is very average. The waitress said she absolutely loves the quesadilla so we got it to share and I expected something more homemade, but it was pretty small and had not much inside and nothing that made it stand out. But served as a quick bite like we needed nonetheless! read more

This ended up being my favorite stop of the day. The moment we walked into Carpenters Street Saloon there was a live band playing. They happened to be paused between songs, and I jokingly asked if they had any Toby Keith. The singer immediately started playing "Should've Been a Cowboy," which set the tone for the whole visit. We stayed for a couple of drinks and ended up spending a good part of the afternoon there. The atmosphere was fun and laid back, exactly what you'd want from a place with live music. At one point a woman passed out and an ambulance came, but there was a group of nurses nearby who said she was fine and had just had a little too much to drink. It honestly added to the wild, lively bar atmosphere. Drinks were very reasonably priced too -- we only spent about $37 for the afternoon. Great music, great vibe, and a fun crowd. I'd definitely go back. read more

Oh man!! Where to start! Walked in with my sister to a VERY lively group that was singing along to somebody playing guitar music. Our server(s) - Phoebe and Sophia - came to us immediately to offer water, etc. They answered questions about cocktails and differences between food items that helped us decide more easily. We ordered wings (old bay garlic honey sriracha - delicious), onion rings, the foot long glizzy (it was fried and had a perfect snap) with tater tots and crab balls (OMG, so fresh, you could taste the freshness) for dine in, and we took mozzarella sticks and crab dip and our leftovers to go. We also joined the "party" haha - I had a watermelon crush and my sister had a blackberry lemonade something or either. The service was great, it was a party vibe going on on a Saturday, and they had convenient parking behind the restaurant. Good value for the price and I would ABSOLUTELY go back! read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Foot long glizzy with tater tots, crab balls, old bay garlic honey sriracha wings, watermelon crush and blackberry bourbon lemonade - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

The food was worth the wait. For a holiday and as busy as they were the service was great. While it is a saloon it's very family friendly.

Many locals mentioned this place. Said their burgers were good. We stopped in just to check it out. Ended up staying and having a Bloody Mary. Met some great locals inside who were raving about their meals. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Bar area - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

Enjoyed breakfast at Carpenters Street Saloon. Waitress was great, very friendly! Food came out quickly and was hot. I had 1 pancake with bananas and chocolate chips and chipped beef gravy on top. A little unusual, but oh so good! Pancake was huge. Brought it back to our room and nibbled on it all night. Leaving today, but going to stop at C's on the way out for breakfast! Summer of 2026 read more

Visited during wine fest. Atmosphere was great. I had the Rueben sandwich and it was amazing. Had a couple beers. Service was great. We will be back for the burger next. read more

Happy with the food happy with the service. People are very friendly and relaxing atmosphere. What else can you ask for?

What a fun place and good food to boot! This saloon really lives up to its name. The place is decked out in old time splendor. The waitress was delightful and kept checking that all was well. The food was very good. I had fried shrimp and my husband had the crab cakes. We could not believe how well-priced everything was. Definitely a go to if you are visiting St. Michael's. read more

We were down for a girls' weekend and stumbled upon the Saloon when another breakfast place provided horrible service. We were immediately greeted by Robin who instantly made us feel like family. The ambiance was fabulous and the delicious food was reasonably priced with large portions. But Robin's warmth, personality, and professionalism is what caused us to return - every day that we were in town. She made the experience whole - can't wait to return - just have to figure out when Robin is working. read more

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Our favorite place on Tablot street!! For a bar, the food was some of the best we had. It's a laid back environment but was definitely good vibes! Highly recommend! read more

The food, drinks and service were all excellent. If you are looking for a low key local spot, this is the place to try. They have live music and good ambiance. read more

Stopped for lunch . Ordered the steak and cheese. Was the best I've had in a while ! Service was very good considering the crowd . Was very busy. Wish they could do something about flies . read more

Bottom Line: Casual bar and grill centrally located in Saint Michaels. I was so excited to try Carpenter Street Saloon for lunch that my husband and I arrived shortly after 11am but found out they don't serve lunch until noon. We left and came back about 12:30pm and were quickly seated in a nice corner booth by a window. I ordered the fish and chips and my husband ordered the crab cake. I enjoyed the beer battered fish and my husband thought his crab cake was in the range of average to good. The fries were very average. After we placed our orders I overhead another waitress offering the daily special of a blackened fish sandwich and an option to get tater tots. Both of those sounded really good to me so I was bummed we weren't informed about the specials. Service was ok. Our server didn't take away anything from the table when she left and I thought it was odd that she asked me if I wanted chips, fries or coleslaw with my fish and chips. Neither of those items are a big deal though. I recognize how hard it must be wait tables during COVID and to wear a mask for the whole shift so we were sure to express our appreciation to her. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Carpenter Street Saloon - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

Bar/restaurant with quick and pleasant service. We stopped here for lunch after visiting the maritime museum. Crab cake sandwich was good. I got to snitch some fries off a friend's plate and they were quite yummy. read more

Came here for breakfast at the recommendation of a couple we met at our hotel. Food was great, service was phenomenal, and the atmosphere was welcoming. Would definitely come here to hang out for some beers and entertainment another day. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Coffee - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

Unsure of how to describe this place other than blatantly racist and unwelcoming? We popped in for trivia and one question from the history category was about India's politics. The host made a comment that "one group better know the answer." The one group was a table of Indian folks. Weird call out but okay. We made it through the round and the same group of people merely walked up to ask the host a question and the entire bar just booed them....loudly.... It was so uncomfortable. read more

Service and breakfast was great people were very friendly and offered opinions for Togo

I cannot comment on anything other than breakfast. This is the place to go for a no nonsense approach to breakfast. You won't find obscure ingredients or complicated dishes. You will find basic eggs, sausage, potatoes, pancakes, and toast done right. ***Hangover Cure Capital of St. Michaels*** read more

Stumbled into this saloon for a drink while day shopping. We had been to some of the other higher end restaurants in town for dinner, but we were looking for a few drinks and snacks. Look, this place is far from high end, but it has something even better. Good hearty food with friendly staff and patrons. We sat at the bar, ordered drinks, had some crab balls (amazing), and ended up chatting it up with the bar tender and some locals. Nice place to visit and enjoy some good company and good food. read more

If you're a minority, visiting guest and not a local, DO NOT go here. Stepped into the place looking for a casual place to eat and shoot pool. Recieved nothing but unwelcoming leers from the local patrons. Completely ignored by the waitresses and bartender. Was only spoken to when we staggered our way towards the stairs in hopes of finding the pool table but only to be stopped in our tracks by a customer saying" it's closed, you can't go up there." Needless to say we left. read more

Nice bar, pretty good food. I had an IPA plus the buffalo wings app and the rockfish bites entree. The IPA was served cold and was delicious. The wings were hot and slightly spicy. Very good. The rockfish bites took a while to get out to me but they got me a second IPA so I was good. But the rockfish bites were only fair. Some were borderline good, but some were not so good. Didn't finish a couple of them. And I wasn't too satisfied with the basket vs. a plate for serving them and the fries. Baskets are great for smaller bites but for larger chunks of fish a plate is better. And these were larger chunks. But this is not the first time rockfish dishes have been hit or miss in Maryland, so it isn't just Carpenter Street. The fries were fairly good. Good meal, albeit not great, and good service. I will be back but I will probably avoid the rockfish from here on out. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Rockfish bites and fries - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

We had two different experiences. First was drinks and steamed shrimp when we got into town and then we came back the next morning for a surprisingly delicious breakfast. The crab omelet was packed full of lump meat and the hillbilly with fried bologna, egg and cheese was a hit! Highly recommend. read more

Great place even greater service... came here on a Monday and it turns out Mondays are "Maryann Mondays." Maryann is truly one of a kind, she's sweet with some southern sass. Such a fun neighborly vibe coming here, everyone seems to know one another, especially Maryann. If you're looking for a local spot in St. Michaels this is it! read more

Carpenter Street saloon is a local hang out but the tourist love it too. Shockingly... The hamburgers are made from scratch and not from Cisco. Simple honest American fair something to delete everyone! read more

Walked in before the Boat Parade was to start. Was not greeted by one single person. There were seats at the bar so we sat there to get a quick bite to eat before the boat parade. Bar was filthy. Empty glasses, empty beer bottles, and trash all over - no one said they'd be right with us, no one cleaned up the glasses and trash. We waited about 10 minutes and a big argument started between two bartenders. They got loud and vulgar and I was with my 76 year old mother. We got up and promptly walked out and they were still yelling. Never going back or recommending them read more

Cinnamon swirl pancakes are to die for. Home fries with skin on had a fresh cut fries taste. Excellent! My wife enjoyed her spinach omelet. Service was great even as crowded as it was. The only con was the noise level made it difficult to converse at the table. We will definitely return. read more

Great place for live music, appetizers, drinks and food. We met friends for lunch and enjoyed the ambiance, people and vibes. The cream of crab soup was excellent. Good burgers and onion rings. I'm looking forward to going back again. read more

I think the food is insanely good but the service left something to be desired. Just sort of had the feeling our server disliked us or something because we weren't locals. I hate that feeling - and I think it's silly. We left a really good tip and before we got up the check was taken off the table. We weren't there for very long at all. I just felt a little uncomfortable because of the service. Can't everyone just be nice and friendly? We ordered takeout later that night because we loved the food so much and again the same attitude. Anyways - great food so if that stuff doesn't bother you then go for it. read more

My friend and I were looking for a place to have lunch, and she wanted a burger. It was 11:35 am. I had hoped to eat outdoors, but places were filling up. Carpenter St. Saloon has a few outdoor tables, but they are right along the narrow (busy) sidewalk. There was a man in the doorway who welcomed us. We asked to see a menu and he handed us paper lunch menus. He told us the food was great and we would not be disappointed. We saw they had burgers so we accepted a nice corner booth (inside) by the window. When the server came and we tried to order, she told us they did not start taking lunch orders until noon. She offered us breakfast menus but we were not interested in that. So we sat with our waters and waited 25 minutes until they would take our order. I had the Southwest chicken salad, which was quite good. My friend enjoyed the Talbot St burger (mushrooms and swiss). My friend asked about dessert and they had three choices, so she settled on chocolate lava cake. It was ok but not what she expected. Lava cake usually is served with a warm center. This was just a mini chocolate bundt type cake with whipped cream, no ice cream. It tasted ok but was not anything out of the ordinary. So I am giving them 3 stars for this visit because we were offered lunch menus to get us in the door and then told they weren't serving lunch. Our server was very nice but the experience was a bit choppy. read more

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Great laid back saloon with super elevated food! I had the chicken tenders and onion rings at the suggestion of our server...outstanding! My hubby had the seafood quesadilla and really liked it. Drinks were excellent, atmosphere is comfortable...lots of friends chatting. We will be back! read more

Awesome breakfast! Great service. Nice atmosphere. Will definitely eat there again. Will also recommend to others.

First place we had lunch when we arrived to St. Michaels Island. Food was good and pleseant service. Will eat here again when we return. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Jerk shrimp and mango salsa tacos. Black and Blue burger with tater tots - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

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Always great in the past but went for breakfast before town parade. Waitress was great as always but food took over an hour to come out and food had hair on the plate (not my color) and my husband had lipstick remains on his cup. Will go back again but not on parade day. read more

A comfortable and adequate neighborhood bar. Super easy going place. Reasonable prices for this otherwise touristy town.

Would give no stars if I could. My wife and I went inside this place. Stood there for 10-15 mins, if that long waiting to be seated and didn't know if we could seat ourselves. Not a word from staff, which the only one was seen was behind the bar, no greeting from them who could have said "have a seat anywhere" or whatever to acknowledge our presence, not even any eye contact from anyone except brief glances and leers from customers looking at us as if we didn't belong there....nothing but a negative, unwelcome vibe, so we immediately left. Wasn't looking for some red carpet welcome, just polite common courtesy. "F" that place. Bunch of stuck up rude-ass people! read more

Neat stop for breakfast. Blueberry pancakes were amazing. Our server Gabby was great. Highly recommend!!

Carpenter Street Saloon in St. Michael's is the quintessential dive bar - and I say that in the most positive sense. Think "Cheers" by the sea - a warm brick interior; the bar with fading wood panels; walls crowded with random memorabilia and slightly-weird seaside decor; the sweet waitress who treats every customer like an old friend; and of course, the surprisingly amazingly food. On our last day in the charming seaside town, hubby and I stumbled in to Carpenter Street for a late lunch, craving something familiar that didn't sport claws or a shell. I ordered the special - a half rack of ribs with fries - and he ordered the pesto chicken sandwich with a side of onion rings The wait was a bit long, but we kept ourselves busy laughing at the signs on the walls and guessing the life stories of the folks sitting around us. When the food finally came, it was well worth the wait. My ribs were delicious - lick-your-fingers-meat-falling-off-the-bone delicious. The homemade (or at least, what I think was homemade) barbecue sauce was tangy and sweet, a great complement to the lightly-seasoned rack of meat. My husband made strange noises after each bite of his sandwich, so I assumed it was good too. Oh and those onion rings. How they get the batter to be so crispy and tasty is a mystery. Yummy. Overall, a very satisfying lunch in a lovely place. Make a stop if you're ever in town. read more

Carpenter Street Saloon - Smoked half rack of ribs with tangy BBQ sauce and fries. Awesome. - Pubs Near Me - Saint Michaels, Maryland

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Great place in town to have drinks! We went here both nights after dinner. Great, friendly staff! One amazing thing is they offer a shuttle to take you home!! Their motto is "you drink , we drive." Simply tip the driver! Must go to when it town!!! read more