Featured Destinations
Kent Narrows
If you’re looking for a place with a little hustle and bustle, Kent Narrows is a must-visit. The Narrows, as locals call it — or Kent Island Narrows, as NOAA charts officially identify it — is packed with marinas, restaurants and dockside bars. It’s also home to commercial workboats and their crew who have been fishing the Bay for generations.
The Matapeake people, members of the Algonquian nation, waded through these waters thousands of years ago, well before William Claiborne started a trading post and farming community here in 1631, claiming Kent Island for the Virginia Colony. The largest island in Chesapeake Bay at approximately 31 square miles, Kent Island became the third permanent English settlement in North America, after Jamestown, Va., and Plymouth, Mass. In 1634, King Charles I granted the Calvert family a charter to establish the Maryland Colony north of Virginia, which contained the upper half of the Chesapeake Bay, including Kent Island.
The 18th century’s tobacco trade created the first traffic jams here, and the upsurge in colonial commerce prompted early leaders to build a courthouse in nearby Queenstown, 5 miles east of Kent Narrows, in 1708. In the late 1700s, the Queen Anne’s County seat moved farther east to Centreville, but Queenstown remained important enough for the British to put it on their pillage-and-burn hit list during the War of 1812. As the tobacco trade waned, enterprising locals turned to the oyster- and crab-filled waters that surround Kent Island, and Kent Narrows grew into a thriving watermen’s hub. Today, only Harris Seafood Company remains of the packing houses, but about 60 watermen’s bateaus are still slotted into “The Slip,” a basin southwest of the two bridges.
As the crabs and oysters lessened, Kent Narrows gradually shifted to attracting pleasure boaters. It is now a vibrant destination for both visitors and locals, who call the area around the nearly mile-long channel as the Kent Narrows Waterfront. It is bookended by Chester to the west and Grasonville to the east, which have a combined population of around 8,000.
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Things to See and Do
Be sure to peruse the Chesapeake Heritage and Visitors Center (425 Piney Narrows Road; 410-604-2100), the official welcome station of the Queen Anne’s County Office of Tourism as well as the home of the Kent Narrows Development Foundation. The Visitors Center is located on the northwest side of Kent Narrows adjacent to the Kent Narrows Yacht Yard and Piney Narrows Yacht Haven. The obliging and gregarious staff can point you in the direction of your needs. (We found out that there is a dog park next to the library in Stevensville.) They also have maps for bike and water trails in the area. Climb the three-story observation tower at the Visitors Center for a panoramic view or follow the adjacent boardwalk to Ferry Point Park for another outlook of the Chester River.
The Visitors Center is a prime spot to take in the July 4th Fireworks at Kent Narrows. Quiz the heritage center folks about all the events happening when you are here. You might also ask them about the Maryland Watermen’s Monument, a statue of two men in a rowboat at the corner of Main Street and Kent Narrows Way South, next to both the Hyatt Place Marina and the Fisherman’s Inn & Crab Deck.
The Maryland Watermen’s Monument is a nod to the area’s commercial and professional fishing crews, most of whom have their boats at the Watermen’s Boat Basin, aka “The Slip,” which is on the southwest side of the Kent Narrows Drawbridge. Take a peek at both while you’re wondering around the Chesapeake Heritage and Visitors Center. Even better, go out on one of the charter fishing vessels here. You’re likely to pick up a few tips and tricks for your ongoing Chesapeake Bay adventures. The 6.5-mile Cross Island Trail begins at Kent Narrows and runs west to Terrapin Nature Park (191 Log Canoe Circle; 410-758-0835), which overlooks the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bay Bridge. Dogs are welcome on the path, and there are restrooms at the Macuum Creek Trailhead (1701 Piney Creek Road) and the Visitors Center. The Cross Island Trail meets the new Cross Island Connector Trail on the east side of Kent Narrows. It is mainly a boardwalk that runs for 1.5 miles, paralleling Route 301/ 50, alongside the bays and salt marsh area that hug the Chester River. It ends in Grasonville at Long Point Park (107 Jackson Creek Road) near Jackson Creek.
Featured Marinas
Cedar Point Marina
410-827-9300Hyatt Place Kent Narrows & Marina
443-446-6000Kent Island Yacht Club
410-643-4101Piney Narrows Yacht Haven
410-643-6600Safe Harbor Narrows Point
410-827-8888Wells Cove Marina
410-827-3869
Restaurants and Provisions
Once you dock your boat, everything is available via a pedestrian-friendly road that loops under the highway and connects across the water via the bascule bridge. And we mean everything. Restaurants run the gamut from upscale to ethnic, from tiki bars and family casual to raucous. Dockside bars, white tablecloth elegance, crabs and beer — you name it, they have it. Kent Narrows is a complete destination for the boater who is a foodie.
One of our favorite haunts is Harris Crab House & Seafood Restaurant (433 Kent Narrow Way N.; 410-827-9500), a dock-and-dine on the east side of Kent Narrows. The all-you-can-eat crabs are the main draw, but those who don’t like to mess around favor the lump crab cakes. Visitors from New England and other northern climes will be surprised that their cakes are all-crab with no filler (much like you’ll find throughout the Bay). You can combine the surf with turf, such as steaks, chicken and ribs. Be sure to save room for dessert — their homemade nutty buddies are a real treat that stimulate conversation. The friendly staff and casual atmosphere here can only be topped by a beautiful sunset, all at no extra charge.
If you’d rather take out than eat in, check out the adjacent Harris Seafood Co. (425 Kent Narrow Way N., 410-827-8104), which has been in the same family for more than 70 years and is the state’s last remaining, year-round shucking house. They have Chesapeake blue crabs (in season) directly from Maryland watermen as well as Bay oysters and clams.
Those nutty buddies we mentioned earlier at the Harris Crab House are also available at the adjacent Dessert First: Dockside Coffee & Dessert Bar (433 Kent Narrow Way N; 410-490-8101). We think the name alone is spot on, as everything is right in the world when you have “dessert first.” They’re open every day at 8 a.m. until 8 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Early risers will get a jolt out of their lattes, cold brews, espresso and cappuccino, all of which go well with their irresistible bakery items. Dessert First has a happy hour in the evening with a lineup of coffee-based cocktails. A canine concoction called “puppaccino” and “Yappy Hour” events will please your pooch, who can howl along to the occasional live music. Safe Harbor Narrows Point has a great dining option at its neighbor, Red Eye’s Dock Bar (428 Kent Narrow Way N.; 410-304-2072). They have open-air dockside seating, with plenty of room for tying up your boat, and live music on weekends that attracts a rollicking crowd.
Across Kent Narrows on the northwest side of the bascule bridge, the Dock House Restaurant (110 Piney Narrows Road; 443-446-4477) features free dockage while you dine, and the panoramic views of the waterway are also complimentary. The Dock House promotes a menu of coastal cuisine that includes fresh seafood, fresh ingredients and seasonal produce, locally and sustainably sourced when possible. The restaurant seats on a first-come, first served basis with no reservations. The Dock House is open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, when there’s live entertainment. We last visited on a Tuesday, when their happy hour started at 3 p.m.! Sports fans congregate at The Dock House, especially on weekends during football season.
On the bascule bridge’s southwest side, the Commodore’s Lounge at Kent Island Yacht Club (410-643-4101) went beyond our expectations with its menu, which ranged from high-end, sumptuous items to par-for-the-course pub fare. The camaraderie of its members was meritorious and infectious, likely rooted in the libations. You don’t have to be a member of a reciprocal club to enjoy the Kent Island Yacht Club, where your grandkids in tow will enjoy the swimming pool and a children’s menu suited to their appetites
Across the waterway, Hyatt Place Marina and Safe Harbor Narrows Point (South) are bounded by a bounty of bars and restaurants within Fisherman’s Village. The Fisherman’s Inn Crab Deck (410-827-6666) offers covered indoor/outdoor dining for about 500 people. The sun glinting off Prospect Bay mesmerizes the folks who would usually just be staring at their phones. At the adjacent Fisherman’s Inn (3116 Main St.; 410-827-8807), the dress code is a cut above the more casual dining. Their “adult lemonades” are a nice start on a hot day. We suggest you try the crab cake, fried or broiled, then choose another seafood from the pairing list that includes stuffed shrimp, lump crab imperial, lobster tail and broiled scallops, among other choices. While here, you’ll also want to check out the Antique Oyster Plate Collection — it’s the largest on the Eastern Shore and really quite exquisite.
The Narrows Restaurant (410-827-8113) is a light-filled, sedate — compared with some of its neighbors — eatery with its own pier. The Big Owl Tiki Bar (410-827-6523) and Bridges on Kent Narrows (410-827-0282) are two more dock-and-dines on this side of the waterway.
Boaters who take a slip at Wells Cove Marina (410-827-3869) are just steps from The Jetty Restaurant & Dock Bar (201 Wells Cove Road; 410-827-4959), which jams with live music and a tiki bar. It reminded our editor of his days island- and bar-hopping in the Caribbean. On weekends, The Jetty has breakfast. Wells Cove Marina has been evolving over the past few years, so if you haven’t been to Kent Narrows in a while, you’ll be impressed, and even more developments are in the works. In fact, we would expect some guests at Wells Cove Marina to plant themselves permanently in their townhomes. Get an idea of what it’s like to live here by spending a day or two at the onsite hotel.
Café Sado (301 Tackle Circle; 410-604-1688), northwest of Kent Narrows at Castle Harbor Marina, has terrific Asian delights. We give a thumbs-up to their sushi rolls, which were buy one, get one free during the time we visited. Poor House (443-249- 3242), also at this marina, is a neighborhood pub with an interesting menu and assortment of microbrew beers. Be sure to try the flatbreads here.
