Inlet Lodge Bar & Grill Ocean City MD

2019 update: According to photos on the internet, the Inlet Lodge is still going - yippee!!

Original Post 2011:

While there are plenty of  "fun food" options on the Ocean City MD boardwalk, instead of fighting the crowds and long lines I like being able to duck into the unassuming Inlet Lodge coffee shop and order a sandwich at the counter, just like folks have done since 1940.

As you can see, once you step out of the sun it's like stepping back in time at the Inlet Lodge, with its counter service and tufted red vinyl booths.

The image above is courtesy of David Readinger (britcarsmgb) via Flickr who writes:

The Inlet Lodge is such a neat blast from the past. While it may seem "dated" to some eyes, it is well kept and retains a certain charm that sets it apart from the cookie cutter establishments that are so common today. I make it a point to have breakfast there at least once every trip to OC, MD. The Bar which adjoins it has undergone some "re-modeling" with a Tiki flair that I was admittedly disappointed in, but it is still a great place to grab a drink when you need a break from the Boards.

I could not agree more!

While waiting for my standard sandwich order (BLT on white toast - so adventurous!) I took a couple of spins on the counter stool to absorb the vintage decor around me.

Loved this 1970s light fixture above the counter - it matched the ice cream cones sign in front of me, and totally gave off a Brady Bunch vibe.

While I sat at the counter I chatted with Virginia, a lovely lady who answered my questions without ever missing a beat in her chopping, cleaning and cooking some delectable looking crinkle cut fries that I wish I ordered. She let me know that the coffee shop is open seasonally, roughly from March to Mid-November. A place for many locals to get breakfast on the boardwalk, they're open 7 days a week.

As David mentioned above, there is a bar on the other side of the coffee shop that you can actually see through the spindled wall separating the two counter based businesses. You can see photos of the interior of the bar at the Bar at Inlet Lodge's facebook page. As you'll note, it has been done over in a more modern "Margaritaville" theme, but I will forever dig their vintage neon bar sign out front.

The Inlet Lodge is "closerthanthis" to the rides at Trimper's,  which we'll cover soon!

So if you don't want a fried something on a stick, or to wait in line for fries without ketchup, check out the Inlet Lodge Coffee Shop next time you're on the 1st block of the Ocean City boardwalk!