Came here to treat the family to some fine dining only to be surprised that this is far from. Butter nut squash soup (which we make often at home) tastes like sugar and not good at all. Risotto with shrimp was nothing special. Chicken risotto special was unedible even though it looked nice. Risotto wasn't even done (crunchy), the chicken tasted like they just sprinkled McCormick Montreal steak spices on it. Flavor is way off. Chicken dish was not eaten but they insisted on charging us for it. Ridiculous! In addition, we ordered a salad, telling them we cannot eat pork for religious reasons, and that we did not want onions. They then delivered a salad with bacon, which, after telling them, was quickly replaced with a salad WITH onions. On top of all of this, we waited an hour and a half for all of our food. Even the side salad took an hour. This place is horrible and extremely overpriced. They have the right idea, but need better recipes and management! read more

I love love love this place. Amazing food. Cozy atmosphere. Every day something new.

Amazing, flavorful, intimate, makes you want to slap somebody good! I loved the Char with mashed potatoes and asparagus. It was my first time trying it and I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it was. Not fishy at all. I also had a side chopped salad and wow! Everything was spot on. My husband had the Mahi Mahi with wild rice and roasted veggies. He's not a big rice eater and he loved everything about the dish. The Mahi Mahi was perfect. The pumpkin cheesecake was SO good. I cannot day enough good things about this place. How will I eat anywhere else now? Amazing quality and will be back ASAP! read more

The CD Cafe - Chat with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Chopped salad. - New American Near Me - Solomons, Maryland

Food was okay but definitely not worth the price I payed. Service was good very nice people.

Such a cute, creative menu using seasonal items. The servers are knowledgeable and just as creative as the menu.

We ate here before we left from our vacation and I can say everything was good but whomever is in charge of taking the meat out of the crab shells please do a better job there were so many pieces in my dish I couldn't enjoy much without biting into a shell. The mashed potatoes also need way more butter too dry read more

See all

You know it's a great restaurant when there are 10 in your group and everyone leaves happy. We had the Popeye burger, Tenderloin appetizer, Gumbolaya, Bangkok Scallops, Australian Dip, Chicken Curry Sandwich, Shrimp Alfredo, Keylime pie with chocolate ganache on top, blueberry sour cream pie and chocolate molten cake. There were more entrées but that's all I can remember... The ones that stood out we're definitely the Tenderloin appetizer and the Shrimp Alfredo. As for desserts... My favorite was the key lime pie with chocolate ganache. The Bangkok scallops were good but reminded me of Thai (I eat a lot of Thai)! All in all a great meal. Yeah, a little pricey, but what do you expect... read more

See all

Worth the stop by far. Staying close by during covid and of course ordered takeout. Very happy with meal. People we helpful and nice. Great meal for the money and hot out of the box. Eat here be happy. read more

I took my wife here a while back and the food was great. It was a great experience. Recently took my wife here for a special date and the quality of food has regressed. Still good service but the quality needs to go back to what it was before especially for the price. read more

My family and I were walking around a searching for a good place to eat after driving through traffic to get to Solomons Island. After looking at reviews of the different restaurants, the CD Cafe seemed to be the best, and boy were we impressed. They offer inside spaced out seating and all the staff had their masks on properly (mask over the nose). The chefs were also wearing their masks properly despite working in the kitchen where it can get hot. I appreciate that they follow Covid guidelines. The service in general was great. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Now onto the food. We got two appetizers to start which were the scallops and the Napoleon. Both were fantastic. The scallops were fresh and seared perfectly so it was not rubbery. The tomatoes they put on top of the scallops were fresh too and you could tell with how sweet they were. The Napoleon was a thicc piece of tenderloin topped with a goat cheese. The tenderloin was cooked just the way we asked, medium rare, and it just melted in the mouth. As for drinks, my mother was the only one who got something besides water. She got the Pineapple Mai Tai. She was really surprised with how, in her own words, "delicious and refreshing it was." For our entrees, I got the chef's special tenderloin tips, my dad got the pork tenderloin with a side of the crab cakes, my mom got the crab cake sandwich, and my grandma got their chicken salad. For my dish, it was well portioned. The sandwich was full of tenderloin (they weren't skimpy about it), onions, and mushrooms. The bread was also really good and soft, and went very well with the meat. I'm pretty sure the bread they use is made in-house. I should have asked. The pasta salad my dish came with was also different in a good way. The pasta salad was cool, refreshing! My dad's dish was also really good he said. The main part for him was the crab cake side. It's a large cake full of fresh crab. It is probably the best one we have ever tasted out of all the seafood places we have eaten at. The sandwich my mom got had one of these big cakes with sauce in between fresh bread. My grandma's plater was also pretty nice. The salad was the same as a Caesar's salad but the chicken was lightly breaded and fried. It was good chicken being light, juicy, and crispy. Out of all these dishes I highly recommend both the appetizers, the tenderloin tips, and anything with the crab cakes! The next time we come down to Solomons we will surely pass by the CD Cafe read more

The CD Cafe - Scallops on the top and Napoleon on the bottom - New American Near Me - Solomons, Maryland

See all

Definitely not the same restaurant when Deb owned it. The food was fresh, and she was inventive. Service has gotten slow, food not so great. Are those frozen chicken tenders on the CD salad now?! Used to be the best food in Calvert County. read more

We stopped into The CD Cafe one day for lunch. It's been on my list to try for some time. We started with the Sea Scallops BBT to split. It's almost like they were two different dishes. There's the scallops and then there's the caprese type toasted baguette with tomato, basil and parmesan cheese. We really enjoyed each but separately. We then got the Popeye Burger and split it too. It was so super good. The creamy cheese, the awesome patty and the spinach. If I had one complaint, I'd say that the spinach needed to be chopped a bit. When we'd take a bite, a big chunk of spinach would come out. It was just a bit tough to eat but was so super good. I got a side of the potato salad and wasn't a huge fan of it but the fries were so good that it almost didn't matter. We can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu. read more

Good food but atmosphere, especially in back area could use some attention. The stools are extremely uncomfortable. It's also unclear when back area of restaurant is open. read more

the best restaurant in Maryland by far! I love this place and the chefs are so talented! definitely one of my favorite stops to make while I'm in town! read more

Always a pleasant experience! Much different plates and atmosphere from the rest of the island.

I want to pick some food up and get a bistro burger and Mac and cheese. Well apparently the Mac and cheese is only for the kids menu. under old ownership this was not an issue if you have Mac and cheese and I'll buy it that's what I expect the customer is always right this left a bad taste in my mouth poor service very disappointing. Seems like good people working not rude just need to work with customers on things. It's not hard to whip up some Mac and cheese very sad I wanted my fix read more

We have been here before. Several times since we moved to the area. I must say this was the "meh" est visit. I dont want to carry on and sound bitchy so I wont. This is just a way of saying that there is much potential. read more

My favorite restaurant on Solomon Island for lunch. Cute cafe with delicious food. Service was friendly and accommodating. Never had a bad meal. read more

Most creative menu I've experienced in a long time and everything was stellar- from the drinks to the apps to the entrees. Looking forward to coming here again. read more

I have been dining locally since 1992 when I moved here from dc metro area and I have to say CD Cafe is on my to three of the best restaurants in the Calvert and Saint Mary's county area. CD chicken is my favorite, but pretty much any choice you make off the menu at CD, you will be pleased with. There is only one catch here, no matter how stuffed you are from your entree you must, Must save room for dessert, because that is where CD truly shines in every homemade dessert they make, there are definitely no wrong choices. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that you get what you pay for. Although a little pricey for dinner, you will not leave hungry or disappointed if you choose CD cafe! Just don't forget the dessert even if you have to take it "to go" read more

We were a party of 11 and our overall experience was exceptional (12/16/21). Our appetizers, entrees and desserts were prepared to perfection. Great food quality, presentation and taste. And Megan was phenomenal...I can't say enough about her outstanding service. she was extremely attentive and personable. Megan ensured that we were satisfied with with everything. She was very engaging. She made our evening. We had a great time, Thanks a million Megan. We'll see you soon. When you go to CD Cafe, you must request Megan. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, treat yourself soon. read more

Clean and charming, with a thoughtful casual menu. excellent service. The burger was excellent.

My husband and I stopped in for lunch on a weekday and it was busy! There are probably only about a dozen tables and they are crammed in, but we didn't mind. If social distancing and table space are important to you, look elsewhere. There was a patron with a walker that struggled a little bit to walk around her table and through the aisles. We shared a bottle of wine, appetizer and entree. All was very tasty and came out with no delays and all perfect timing. Prices are good for portion sizes. Service was good. read more

I am a long term customer of this restaurant and I am giving up. Had the Shrimp Cacio e Pepe last night and it was not very good. My wife and I try to go early on Thursdays to get the half price bottle of wine. They changed up the rules and now it only applies if the bottle is already under $35. We picked a bottle that was $35 and paid full price when this has never been the case before. I hate being nickel and dimed by a place. read more

They have a REAL CHEF and his food is amazing!!! This restaurant belongs with Michelin star restaurants in Washington D.C. not down here! He is creative and every week is a new menu. All the other restaurants on Solomons Isle pale in comparison read more

The CD cafe is always consistent for good food. no chicken tenders here. you get awesome delectable food. It is always a special treat to eat there. read more

Nice place. Celebrated 57 Birthday. Had buffalo chicken Yum & curry chicken on pita w/ salad so good

Wonderful combinations of seasonings and flavors. Napoleon - Fantastic Walnut Cheesecake - starter over the top great Crab cakes were all crab with a great risotto Flank steak special also matched with a great risotto Foodies - this is your type of place Would come back every night until we sampled the whole menu read more

I wish to tell you all that this is a fantastic restaurant. Please give them your business as they deserve it. Yesterday I took my wife there to celebrate her birthday. Without going into detail, they did that one doesn't experience often in restaurants these days. Suffice to say they went far beyond what is normally done. Thank you folks, your fantastic. read more

Love everything about this place. So nice to have something besides the usual seafood joints down in Solomons. The pan seared tenderloin I had was perfection and the sangria was delicious! And the crab hush puppies appetizer ridiculously good. The others with us raved about the salmon over risotto and the gyro as well. Service was spot on as well. Can't wait to go back! read more

Ate here for lunch and had an excellent experience! The dining area is small, but luckily there was a table open and we were seated right away. Our waitress was exceptional. She was very quick to give suggestions when asked and was lovely. The space was clean. I love finding a place tucked away that isn't a chain restaurant. Both myself and another member of my party had the chicken wrap. The pieces of chicken were really large inside and it came with a side of potato salad. All in all, my meal was great. Another member ordered the Mexican chicken sandwich and it was devoured the moment it was sat down in front of him. The only reason they are getting 4 stars instead of 5 is the other person at my table who got the chicken wrap. Hers came out burnt and with no sauce in it. We opened them up and ours were very differently made and mine wasn't burnt at all. Maybe it was that someone else made her wrap, but they had no consistency. We will be returning for a nice lunch close to the water again! read more

See all

Love the CD cafe... Food selection and specials are diverse and prepared properly. The dishes are always seasoned well and never bland. I love their shrimp alfredo but usually request additional shrimp. The decor and atmosphere is classy and peaceful. It is definitely one of my fav choices for lunch. read more

The CD Cafe - New American Near Me - Solomons, Maryland

See all

Since COVID, I have been getting carry out at CD Cafe so often I wish I was getting frequent flier miles. The people are pleasant, helpful and the food is consistently high quality. The one time we did eat in the restaurant, they had the tables distant, and all the wait staff wore masks. There is an interesting mix to the menu and a good variety of to the daily specials. A couple of recommendations: the Curry Chicken - nicely prepared and the mandarin oranges with the salad give it an excellent fresh taste. It comes with a pita but I usually get it as a salad. The pad Thai is wonderful and has a mix of meats in it. The crab cake is also well prepared and flavorful with lots of crab meat. Last: the key lime pie is a favorite of ours. Wonderful clean lime taste - not too sweet. read more

Love this restaurant! Small but great atmosphere. Delicious and creative food choices and good service all contribute to a great place to visit. read more

Anazing food and service. Scallop appetizer was delicious and a good sized serving. Steak with peppercorn and mushroom steak was exceptional and key lime pie finished the meal off perfectly. read more

Less than impressed. Overcooked one of our dinners and then took forever to fix it. We were all done eating before bringing out the replacement for one of our party. Offered only one dessert as compensation. read more

A bit pricey, but the location is fantastic and the service was great so for overall I think it was worth it for what it was. The veggie burger was good, and that was very affordable, but I wish they had a vegetarian entree also. There was one pasta dish that seemed like it might be, but wasn't marked with their vegetarian symbol, and it had no protein and was a bit expensive so I didn't bother asking. I also wish they had some more local beverages. The chocolate lava cake (served with ice cream) was fabulous. Would come here again...and in fact I have already been here twice. read more

Food is ok but has odd selections. Service was good but had trouble finding something that I would enjoy eating. Very healthy choices but some things don't agree with me... read more

4.5 stars. Husband and I arrived at Solomons Island Winery a little before it opened. Rather than wait around, we decided to head into town and eat lunch before our tasting. And not knowing much of anything about Solomons Island, Maryland, I consulted the ever-helpful Yelp app and found CD Café. A four-star average and three reviews by Yelpers I trust helped to seal the deal. We probably wouldn't have stopped here otherwise, as it's a wholly unassuming storefront in an equally nondescript office building. As soon as we walked in, however, I was pleased. The décor is homey and comfortable without being shabby or worn. The view out the big picture windows overlooks a scenic, bucolic farm with the Patuxent River and soaring Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge beyond. Our server, Alexis, was one of the best we've had in a long, long time: incredibly chatty and witty without intruding, very conversant in the menu and specials, fast, and skillful. She really took her time with us, relaying off-menu items, giving us recommendations, and even steered us away from wasting time at Solomons Island Winery: "If you know anything about wine, you probably won't like it," she said. "They specialize in things like 'strawberry Merlot' and 'watermelon white'." Instead, she suggested Running Hare, which turned out to be the best winery we visited all trip. Thanks, Alexis! As for the food, it was mostly all just wonderful, made from scratch from fresh, local ingredients. We started with the hummus and warm pita appetizer, loving the smooth, garlicky, herb-studded spread smeared on soft, warm pita points. The addition of chopped scallions atop the hummus is something I've not seen before, but so simple and obvious I'll be serving my own that way from now on. For his entrée, husband chose the flounder sandwich, a grilled fillet with Kalamata compound butter, sautéed spinach, and a grilled asparagus, pepper, onion medley with crumbled feta cheese, all served on warm focaccia. It was hard to eat, so husband approached it more like a salad. It sounded like an odd combination of ingredients, but together they really, really worked. I went with the crab cake sandwich special, doused with Green Goddess dressing on a Kaiser roll, and served with the house salad of romaine, mandarin oranges, red onion, cucumber, almonds, and the most mouth-wateringly delectable homemade Asian dressing. Living in the DMV I've had my share of crab cakes in my day, but CD's is arguably the absolute best ever to pass my lips: a *huge* cake made with practically no filler and nothing but sweet, gorgeous chunks of crab, pan fried to a crisp, flavorful golden brown. At $21 it's probably one of the pricier crab cakes, but worth every penny. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the side of "cheesy" grits Alexis had talked me into, saying CD's grits were the best ever. They weren't. I didn't get much cheese flavor, and the grits were lukewarm and stuck together in one big glob. A real disappointment considering my abiding love of grits the fact that CD nailed all the other food. Whenever we're back down this way, husband and I will definitely be back for a meal at CD. In fact, it might be the *reason* we come back down this way. read more

See all

This would have been a 3/5 because the food is edible but based on the price to quality.... I had to take a star away because the high expectation that isn't met and also the extra fees they tack on for sharing food. Underwhelmed and overpriced, don't let the pretty plating fool you, definitely a time when you can't judge a book by its cover. I felt cheated by the end of the service both in price and taste, service was just blase. The prices are astronomical for a tiny "cafe" in a small seasonal town. There are no beers on tap and mediocre wines to boot that aren't worth the bottle. The food... oh... the pretty food, the photos of food and the drool-worthy descriptions, I wanted to try all the food but I'm thankful I didn't order more than I did. Ahi Tuna with fried oysters was on special, so specials are usually pretty spot on, but this was NOT the case. The plate consisted of a pile of tuna drowning in a bland seaweed salad with 4 fried oysters on the other half of the plate with some cocktail sauce in between. I'm not even sure why these two things were even together on the plate... they weren't even meant to be eaten together, so it was confusing and a let down because I thought I was getting something as a whole. Next I had the Tenderloin Napoleon which was Stacked grilled beef tenderloin medallion smaller than your hand with wilted spinach, Portobello mushroom, Boursin cheese and balsamic vinegar reduction drizzle.... the cheese literally slide off the top of the tenderloin, the meat was not tender and hard to cut through (I asked for Medium Rare) and the spinach wasn't just wilted, it was kinda burned. As soon as you cut into the mushroom, the whole plate was filled with liquid... made the dish very messy... probably if cooked better, it would have been better. Scallops BBT was Grilled sea scallops on saffron aioli crostini. Topped with chopped bacon, basil & tomato concassé.... sounds amazing doesn't it? It was Not. We got TWO.... just two scallops that were heaped with more tomato and nasty bacon than anything else, trying to hide the tiny scallops I suppose. What the hell!? Lastly, the White Pizza which had Roasted garlic and shallots cream cheese spread, bacon, mushroom, fresh tomatoes, red onions, spinach and Parmesan cheese could have been amazing if they hadn't over-topped it with the spinach and if they had used better bacon. The bacon had a strange taste as if it was microwavable or Oscar Meyer. Just junk bacon, they should probably invest in black forest or at least something with better flavor. Total cost - $47.53 o_O In conclusion, this place has the right idea for food on paper, but their execution is poor. ALSO, watch out for the hidden fees, they gouge you an extra $4 if you want to split an entree and an extra $2 if you want a half portion (our server didnt even bother to tell us this after she offered it). Why the extra money? Seriously!??!!??! If I want to share my plate, its no business of yours, I didnt ask for anything special from you and I'm ordering the exact same amount of food. Bull-honky! UGH! read more

See all