I don't usually write reviews, but this experience absolutely deserved one. From the moment we walked in, the service was next-level. Our server, Blakely exemplified the true meaning of exceptional customer service -from defining the weekly special to being attentive without coming across overbearing, he made us feel like valued guests. The food? Incredible. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. You can tell there's real attention to detail in both presentation and taste. Nothing felt rushed or generic--everything came out perfectly timed and exactly as ordered. What really stood out was how seamless the entire experience was. Blakely & Megan anticipated needs before we even had to ask, checked in at just the right moments, and made great recommendations that did not disappoint. It's rare to find a place that nails both amazing food and service, but this spot does exactly that. I'll definitely be coming back--and recommending it to anyone who appreciates a great, Annapolis dining experience. read more

I had a great time here with my friend after a event. We came to grab a drink and chat. The service was amazing and the bartender was very friendly serving up a great drinks. read more

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As we strolled through the streets connecting and around Annapolis Waterfront on Labor Day, we came across Viva. As I had the experience of one in Baltimore that closed so we decided to try this one out. The art decor was inviting as well. We entered and was quickly greeted by the hostess/bartender. It was not busy when we arrived but soon after folks started trickling in. The bartender gave us options of seating. We decided on a window seat. He assured us to sit closer out of the sun as it gets a little warm seated in the seat with the sun. As us if he told a story, lol he was correct. The only draw back with sitting in this particular window seates area was the flies that seemed to gravitate to our area in annoyance. After the bartender assisted with drink selection, in which we chose the watermelon margarita with a spicy rim as is and one without the spicy rim; we then selected the queso w/chips and 3 fish tacos and a buffalo cauliflower taco (2 tacos with corn tortillas and 2 with flour) The watermelon margarita and queso came out pretty quick. In a good timing, the tacos came out. The tacos were overloaded with toppings. The fish taco was too crispy, creating a messy eat and harder to bit into. The cauliflower taco was overloaded most toppings fell off. The taste was okay but they were not to run tell the nation ordeal. It is a good vibe just for a taco if you are in the mood and walking by, but not to decide to drive to come just to this spot. Although the bartender/hostess/server was great. If in the area and have a taste for tacos, I maybe willing to try them again. read more

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Was out doing some bar hopping in Annapolis and we had stopped here in the afternoon. Ordered several of their tacos they'd offer and tried a couple of their margs. The purple haze was my favorite along with the pork Al pastor taco. The sweet potato taco was amazing as well. The food and service here was great would definitely recommend if your out and about in the Annapolis area read more

Vida Taco Bar - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Cool vibes, unique decor. Service was fast and friendly. Watermelon margarita was phenomenal. Unfortunately, tacos fell short of expectations. Specifically, the Pacifica (fish) was smaller than anticipated and overcooked. Buffalo Cauliflower was a tad bit spicy and quite messy. Queso dip was good. Not a bad experience, but not great either. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Watermelon Margarita - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Really yummy and creative tacos! Great casual place to stop for a bite and drink. Service and quality of food were both really solid. Would return! read more

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I just want to say what a wonderful time my friends and I had at this place. The menu does not give it justice. They have homemade lemonade, aguas frescas, sangria, Purple Drank is a combo of their sangria and signature margarita they make on the house. The tacos are more different than I've seen in a while, and I've worked admin for a specialty taco company in Los Angeles, so it was refreshing. They have 3 types of tortillas - corn, flour, and lettuce wrap. I personally loved the Thai shrimp wrapped in lettuce because it tasted like a spring roll. I have the ahi tuna in corn. I will say the guacamole is not as good as the California recipes, but I have to go by Maryland standards. But Maryland, you have the same ingredients, let's catch up with Cali, huh? We shared the chicken pastor nachos. The chicken pastor was very tender and savory, it really hit the spot for our party. The ambiance was inviting, the service was friendly and informative, we had a wonderful time. Good music, sports playing on silent, club vibes, super hip with notes of La Dia de Los Muertos. Gorgeous. read more

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Came to Vida with 2 friends for Taco Tuesday after my one friend recommending it because the bill is 20% off on Tuesdays. Love the laid back environment and the wall art. Our bartender was friendly and helpful when trying to figure out which tequila to go with for our margarita pitcher. The pitcher was mixed so well and it was quite strong. Some of our food choices were better than others. The guacamole and queso were so good but some of the chips were way too salty which made it hard to eat with the queso. We all got 3 tacos each. I had a carne asada, chicken, and scallop tacos. My favorite of the 3 was surprisingly the chicken. The carne asada was tough and the scallops could have be cut up more to be evenly distributed throughout the taco. It was like scallops were in the first two bites and then you realize they are gone and the remainder of your taco is vegetarian. Overall, good place but I've had better tacos from other places. read more

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Wow! This was a huge hit and a new favorite! It's located in the beautiful Main Street area of Annapolis. It's really cozy and nicely decorated inside. The staff were friendly and helpful with all our questions. We ordered the corn bites which are very similar to elote corn... the best I've ever had! We also ordered the sweet potato taco and the buffalo cauliflower. The cauliflower one has old bay mixed in which is very "Maryland" but I wasn't a big fan of it as it overpowered the buffalo flavor... but it was still very good. The sweet potato tacos earned 4 thumbs up! One of the most delicious vegetarian tacos I've ever eaten! We will definitely be returning! read more

Vida Taco Bar - 2 Sweet potato and 1Buffalo Cauliflower tacos - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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So we stopped into this small taco shop on one of the main streets in Annapolis just because it was raining outside and we were going to grab a few drinks. The Margaritas (spicy and watermelon) were soo tasty with the perfect combo of alcohol and taste. We ended up getting hungry and ordered tacos. I got the fried fish and steak tacos which were delicious and definetely worth the price. Staff were really nice. Overall not one complaint. Food was great and drinks were made perfectly. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Fried Baja Fish / Pacifica Steak taco - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

We were strolling through Annapolis on a miserably hot day and popped in for lunch. We were seated right away in the back and started with some chips and salsa, well worth the $4. We got our son the quesadilla meal, which had no right being as good as it was. Here's how I would rank the tacos 1. Carne asada, steak was cooked to perfection (it was med rare, so if that isn't your preference, either let them know or maybe skip? I saw some reviews that took issues with the wellness) 2. Shrimp, lived the thai basil. It does come with pickles, which I didn't mind, but the surprised my husband 3. Sweet potato, great flavor profile 4. Chicken pastor, loaded with pineapple, which I loved 5. Scallop, good, but not a stand out Our server seemed to forget about our table often. A refill on drinks would have been the only issue we had. Other than that, great! Can't wait to go back. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Chicken pastor (7/10), sweet potato (8/10), scallop (6/10), carne asada (10/10), shrimp (9/10) - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

My friend recommended this place for us to eat lunch. It is a little place in the heat of Annapolis. The queso dip was excellent, so were the Vida Chicken Nachos. The tacos are served family style. This means that our tacos came out on a single platter and everyone just grabbed the tacos they ordered. The offer flour, corn, and lettuce wraps for the tacos. Thai Basil Shrimp tacos are hot but you can get them mild. They also offer four different sauces for your tacos. I decided not to use the sauces. The sauces are tomatillo, brick (bbq), habanero (hot), and guava. They have fast and courteous service. The artwork on the walls is fun and interesting. It gives the place a fun vibe. read more

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In one sentence: The tacos were delicious but not worth the hefty price. Each taco cost $4.50 to $8.50. It would be worth it if the order came with two tacos, but I'm no econ major. There were four of us (to include myself), and each of us ordered 3-4 tacos. Despite each of us ordering our tacos for ourselves, the tacos all came out two trays. We had trouble figuring out which taco belongs to who and had to ask for assistance. Coming out on separate plates for each of us would have made it more convenient. I did enjoy the tacos overall, especially the Korean pork belly and chicken pastor. You do get to choose the type of tortilla you'd like to have (corn, flour, and one other). The restaurant was clean and tidy. Service was pretty standard, except for the taco mix-up. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Korean Pork Belly, Fried Avocado, Chicken Pastor - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Severely disappointed. Our waitress was not attentive and we had to waive them down multiple times. Then the food came and the soft crab was inedible and the al pastor was cold. The waitress saw us not touch our food and didn't offer an apology or anything. Very disappointed in the quality and service at this place. read more

Okay I am SHOCKED by the overall score of this place because I had an awesome experience here!!! Came with a coworker to mingle after work. She grew up in the area and said she really liked this spot. I was down, I love when people know an area and can share their recs. Plus, I will neverrrrr say no to tacos. We both got three tacos. I ordered two sweet potato tacos and one mushroom. I'm a SUCKER for sweet potato tacos. When they're done right, they're done RIGHT. And this place knew how to make a killer sweet potato taco. It came with this spicy aioli on top that was just *chef's kiss*. The mushroom taco was also phenomenal. Mushroom tacos can really be hit or miss, so I was nervous but they did a great job. The food came with a tray of hot sauces that I completely forgot to try in my frenzy to eat. I only realized after that I had forgotten to try them, so don't make my mistake! The sauces looked delicious, so I'm bummed I missed out. The best part of the meal was their margarita, because WOWZA it was amazing! I got the Nico's Marg, and it was so delicious. Smooth, flavorful, and refreshing....I'll be thinking about that marg for awhile... Main bummer about this place is that they don't split the check, but they were accommodating and offered to our whatever dollar amount on our cards. My coworker and I just split the check down the middle since we got essentially the same thing, so that worked well, but I could see that getting tricky for big groups of people! read more

Purple Drank First off, anything with the "stank on it" included in the title of it, you know it's going to be amazing. It was the best of both worlds. The sweet from the Sangria and the sour from the margarita....brilliant. I'm just mad I missed the happy hour. Next time. H2O The water being served out of a Tequila bottle...Nice touch for a Tequila & Taco bar. Tacos Tacos were off the chain. The shrimp and the mahi mahi were my favorite. Guacamole The guacamole was phenomenal! I will definitely be back! read more

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Vida taco always hits the spot. We got a window table so a nice view. I tried the fried avocado and the sweet potato tacos. My dinner mate had the Pacifica and the Thai basil shrimp tacos. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Bottom left : the fried avocado, Bottom right : the sweet potato Top left : the Pacifica Top right : the Thai basil shrimp - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

The food was amazing please get the nachos with chorizo you will not be disappointed. The street corn has a sort of BANG to it we definitely loved it. If you're used to regular elote it's not the same but it is worth a try ! The guacamole was great it looks like a small portion but it's actually a great amount. The portion sizes are perfect and not too overly priced for tacos. Majority of the people in here enjoyed the margaritas so definitely get yourself One or 7 :) also Maddie and the rest of the staff were great and attentive the food came Out very quickly ! read more

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What an amazing and interesting selection of tacos to try. They have great customer service. The prices are reasonable and the tacos are packed with food. read more

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Every time we come here we have a fantastic experience! Food is excellent. Most importantly the staff worked their butts off- excellent service. The wait staff is excellent. Tribute to the ownership - they hire great people. read more

Tacos were great. Server had an attitude. Spice level was up there. Everything comes all mixed together. Okay, first, it was one of those waitresses where it felt like we were putting her out any time we asked a question. Not friendly. Not helpful. Didn't describe anything. I'd chalk it up to her having a bad day but she seemed too comfortable with her attitude. Anyway, we will be back because the food and drinks were great. The tacos are pricey, but the portions are large. It's the first taco place I have been to in a while where I don't need 5 to fill me up. 2 is fine for most people. 3 if you're a big eater. Allergies... okay, our fault for not mentioning it to the waitress, but we had a diner with a legit gluten allergy and this is a GF labeled menu. Each of us ordered our tacos separately. Expecting our own plate of tacos. Some corn. Some flour. They all came lumped together on a single tray... ...the individual taco holder trays were not even divided by person. We picked through and sorted out our own tacos. Not a big deal, but if you're not all family maybe it is to you. Nobody described which taco was what. We just kind of guessed. The person with the allergy had flour tortillas up against her GF tacos. Just all seemed rude. At least if the waitress was friendly enough to either describe how things were served (it was clearly our first time there) or point out which taco was which When they spicy they mean it! That's a nice change. I like spicy food. If you don't like spice, order carefully. Even the ground beef taco our kids got was a hot. So, loved the food, but not the service. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Carne Asada, pastor, shrimp - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

We came on the earlier side (before 6) and had no trouble getting a table. Our server was perfectly attentive and paced the meal well. We each ordered two tacos-- the table favorites were the Thai Basil shrimp and the Scallops. The fried chicken one was a little weird, and the carne asada just had too much onion. But all in all, I loved the vibe, the price, and the food. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Platter of tacos - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE. If you have the chance, you should 100% choose Vida. It was fresh, authentic food served quickly and with care! Our server, Cortney, was friendly and polite. The atmosphere was nice, and we had a view of Main Street. This food was beyond delicious!!! Ryan Trahan- If you see this, EAT HERE!! read more

Tacos were okay. Not very flavorful and meat was kinda cold. However, we got queso for an appetizer and it was the BEST I ever had hands down. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

After having some very good luck with a recent take out order I decided to go and have a sit down dinner with my wife at the restaurant. This sit down dinner did not go well at all........ Let's start with the good as there was some aspects of dinner that were truly enjoyable!! To start the Smokey Margarita was truly amazing. That was a drink I could enjoy any day of the week. The queso appetizer was also quite delicious, it was really packed with a lot flavor. The bad..... the service was incredibly slow and our server was incredibly rude. Not just rude to my wife and me but we observed him being rude to other tables sitting around us. My ahi tuna taco tasted and smell down right disgusting. I feel quite confident in saying that the tuna expired a while back. The other tacos were not bad, but certainly did not dazzle either of us. Over all the experience was quite back with a little bit of good thrown into the mix. Recommendation: eat here at your own risk. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Smokey House Margarita / Smoked Margarita / Spicy Margarita / Sangria / Purple Drank - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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Super tasty taco joint. It's not a chain restaurant from what I can tell, so that guarantees something different. The staff were extremely nice and helpful, bordering on too helpful, if that's an issue for someone. The ambience is welcoming and cozy. Any taco joint must pass the sauce test, and theirs are all really good and fresh tasting. Our wait time was long only because the people in front ordered a ton. For how much they had to cook, I'd say they did it faster than any of you schmo's could, so be kind and tip. Oh, big bonus: this is the rare taco place that you don't regret in the bathroom later. You can't say enough about that. read more

The food simply wasn't good. Out of the 8 tacos ordered, we collectively only liked 2. We were extremely dissapointed

This place has great food. We all loved our tacos! The service was quick and personable. The ambiance is nice. I really liked the look of this place very sheek and cute. I will be back. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Thai Shrimp Seared Scallops Pico de Gallo Guacamole Queso Dip - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

The "Purple Drank" was on point. The Nico's margarita was good too. My hubs had the spicy margarita and enjoyed it the best. Chicken nachos were delicious, my son was pleasantly surprised. I didn't dig the salsa but still a good experience. read more

Vida Taco Bar - Purple Drank - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Best. Tacos. Ever. Try the Thai shrimp and the seared ahi tuna tacos with lettuce wraps. You won't be sorry. The atmosphere is colorfully fun, upbeat, but not too rushed. The servers are friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Unfortunately I can't leave much of a positive review. Our experience was tainted right at the very end. Here's the tea: Food was good. The female server brought out our bills and they were all mixed up. Peoples drinks on other people's bills. Peoples desserts on other people's bills, etc. We had to have her correct them. Okay cool. Then she asks me if I was drinking. I wasn't. I don't do "Margs" they're gross. Then she says "Well there is an extra drink". Not once did they clean our table so everything we were ever given was there. We counted the number of spicy marg glasses on the table and the number that showed up on bills. It was correct. Yet she continued to claim we had another drink that someone had to pay for. The Manager then came out and said that it's IMPOSSIBLE that her server charged us for an extra drink because they are very accurate... this being after we all received incorrect bills... Mind you we even spoke up when our bills were missing items that we actually ordered. So we were not trying to get out of paying for ONE MARG. We just did not feel that it was right to charge us for a drink that was not ordered or on our table. Seems kind of odd to do that yeah? We had a large group with PLENTY of money spent. Next time we will spend it somewhere that actually takes care of their patrons. They forced the last person who hadn't paid yet to pay for it or for us to give them cash for it. Prices are decent. But the service is absolutely horrid. Wait: 20 minutes. No big deal. Server: Okay, so our servers were rude or sassy pretty much the entire time. There was one point where I thought about complaining about the male servers attitude. It's not our fault y'all put all the tacos on the trays in random order and not according to the actual order placed. We each ordered 3 tacos to try to make it easier for them too! Instead they brought 3 tacos a tray all mixed up... sounds like a personal problem. Possibly redo how you serve to cut down on confusion for all parties. That's poor user experience right there. Food Quality& Order: I thought the food was amazing! And by amazing I mean delicious for an Annapolis take on Mexican. Nothing like authentic Mexican. But it was good enough. Atmosphere& Decor: The space is tight, very loud, none of which we mind. read more

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I had the best time at Vida Taco Bar! This is a small restaurant in downtown old-town Annapolis but they serve up a BIG wow factor with the food and drinks. My daughter, recent UMD graduate (yep, I'm a proud daddy), was treating my to a lunch outing. We've both wanted to visit here for years. I had the 'pacific fish' taco, the 'tinga chicken' taco, and the 'Lamb barbacoa' taco. The Lamb taco was DYNO-MITE ... so much so that I had a 2nd for a total of four tacos ... yes; I'm a piglet. She had the 'scallops' taco, a 'carne asada' taco, and a 'tinga chicken' taco. She said the scallops taco was the Bomb ! We both liked the Tinga chicken taco but felt it was lacking something. While good it needed a little something else. The house drinks were excellent ... they serve house mixed margaritas with hand squeezed fruits and they were all great ... I sampled all three and one twice. If your visiting old town Annapolis I recommend you make a stop here. read more

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Came for the tacos stayed for the drinks! We recently moved to Severna Park and had seen a Vida Taco Bar in town, but while in Annapolis noticed that Vida Taco Bar has a DTA location. Since we hadn't tried them in either place, so we stopped in. I ordered a watermelon margarita and hubs got a classic both were delicious, but the watermelon was amazing: fresh, super light and refreshing. The size was reasonable also which was great. We ordered queso to start: what looks to be a small portion actually turned out to be plenty for two people; for any more than two I'd say grab an additional order or some Pico de Gallo (also table next to us got nachos, for $2 more than queso you get a substantial portion, so if you have a group that's the better deal). The queso was delicious and chips we homemade. We grabbed three tacos each for dinner. I had the Carolina BBQ(Good bbq itself is average, but the taco all together was awesome); carne asada (good, salsa was a little overpowering and the steak was just ok); and the pork belly (this one was the best tasting and best prepared protein, but was completely overpowered by the spicy filling). Hubs had the scallops (favorite); and jerk mahi (he said that one was pretty good, he liked the pineapple salsa mixed with the jerk rub on the fish). Overall great experience, our waitress Taylor was super nice and attentive. Only took away a star because their happy hour specials are lackluster. Friday only has discounted margs until 5pm (rough on anyone who works outside DTA). read more

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My friend and I came here a couple weekends ago and really liked it! The space is really cute, they laid it out well and the artwork is nice. I also liked that the menu is simple and easy to order from. We ordered the rings chicken, carne asada, al pastor, Buffalo cauliflower, and one special one that had a soft shell crab in it. We liked the food, and they all had a lot of filling inside! Would definitely recommend Vida! read more

Vida Taco Bar - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

We had Pork Belly Taco, Scallop Taco, Thai Basil Shrimp taco along with this fish taco. We were too excited to get a bite and rather photos. 4 of them were so different and equally flavorful. The tacos can be customized with either flour or corn tortillas, so that's a great advantage. Seared Scallop taco- soft, fleshy and full flavors. This one is a must! Pork belly taco- great combination with a dash of kimchi which gives it a great kick. Shrimp basil taco- the authentic Thai combination which can't go wrong. A squeeze of lime is what you need and rest is assured. Pacifica taco- simple yet soulful fish taco. Overall a great restaurant to complement your trip to Annapolis. Trying their best with Covid management. The takeout box has everything to let you have your tacos with fingers (a huge paper towel). read more

Vida Taco Bar - Baja Fish / Pacifica - Tacos Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

Had a delicious lunch here with my friend! The staff was so friendly and attentive and the food was great! There have good specials as well. I got their signature "purple drink" which was a margarita/sangria mix! I also got the nachos. It was the perfect combination! We also got the churro doughnuts. I would definitely come back here next time I'm in Annapolis! read more

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Great service and rue tacos were amazing loved the scallops and the pork belly will be back to try more!! read more

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Meh, underwhelming. The inside was like a typical Annapolis restaurant, cozy and dimmed lighting, tight sitting but comfortable. The service was a little slow, but not bad. The food, meh. Ordered some nachos, a few tacos and the corn bites. Corn bites were terrible, probably just the corns fault but not a fan at all, super bitter. Nachos were okay, little sloppy. The tacos, meh again, the pork belly was tasteless but the additional topping were good, the carne asadas not good, burnt outside more than I like, the fried avocado tasted like vegetable oil, no fried taste at all and the tuna was over cooked but the toppings were good. Would I go back, probably not but that place isn't for me. However, it couldn't hurt to give it a try. read more

Tonight was a girls night and a farewell dinner, and it being Taco Tuesday we decided on here. We walk in, five of us, and get seated immediately. Maureen was our server who told us about the menu front and back, and recommended 3-4 tacos per person. She didn't smile or sound like she wanted to be there, but she was efficient and knowledgeable. It's pretty pricey given the tacos are the size of your palm, and we all ordered at least 3. I got the tinga chicken, carne asada, and the Thai basil shrimp. The chicken was my least favorite, all I could taste was cilantro. The carne asada was just okay, but the shrimp was really flavorful and spicy. We go to pay and tell her we're all separate checks. Maureen tells us they don't split checks and walks away. So she brings it back and tells us to write a total and she'll charge each card separate. Which is fine, it's easy. What really upset us was the way she kept talking to us after telling us how to split it, it was in such a condescending tone. Eventually one of the girls asked to speak to the manager. When one of us went to fill the meter, she could hear the manager and staff gossiping about us to the bartender. If you're going to gossip at least make sure we aren't right next to you. Anyways, I do the math for the girls because they're just over it, we pay, and on the way out, everyone up front was obnoxiously loud and slightly sarcastic saying "have a greaaaat night ladies". I wouldn't come back, mostly because of the experience from the staff. read more

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My daughter wanted to go here after her graduation so we visited during lunch. The ambience was great and the service was fast and friendly. I love all the vegetarian options they have!! The location is also wonderful because you can walk right down to the harbor and enjoy all the touristy activities Annapolis has to offer. read more