At 80 Compromise Street, the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel space that held Pusser's Caribbean Grille for about 30 years now holds two restaurants: Marmo Italian Chophouse and Armada Dockside Cantina. Both opened to the public on July 16, 2026. A short walk along the water, the old Stevens Hardware building at 142 Dock Street reopened in February as The Admiral's Cup. Ten doors down, at 132 Dock Street, Armadillo's has become Mavericks.
Across Spa Creek, the year went the other way. O'Leary's Seafood served its last meals in August. Ruth's Chris Steak House has announced it is leaving 301 Severn Avenue. Boatyard Bar & Grill is still open, but a Baltimore restaurant group now holds a majority stake. Add it up and most of what is new in Annapolis dining this year sits at City Dock or Annapolis Town Center. Eastport, long the town's other waterfront dining neighborhood, is running on fewer of its longtime names.
Three new Atlas tables near Ego Alley
Most of the new dining downtown comes from one company. Atlas Restaurant Group opened The Choptank, a Maryland seafood and crab house at 110 Compromise Street, in July 2022. In 2026 it added three more within a few blocks. Eye On Annapolis called Marmo and Armada the group's third and fourth Annapolis restaurants.
| Restaurant | Address | What it serves | What was there before | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Admiral's Cup | 142 Dock St. | Wings, pizzas, handhelds, live entertainment daily | Mission BBQ, in the Stevens Hardware building | February 2026 |
| Marmo Italian Chophouse | 80 Compromise St. | Steaks, chops, housemade pasta, seafood | Pusser's Caribbean Grille | July 16, 2026 |
| Armada Dockside Cantina | 80 Compromise St. | Tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, agave spirits | Pusser's Caribbean Grille | July 16, 2026 |
The hotel project took a long time. Atlas announced the two concepts in May 2024, after Pusser's lease was not renewed, and first aimed to open in late summer 2025. According to Eye On Annapolis, construction turned up structural problems, including roughly $800,000 in steel and support pillar replacement. Marmo seats about 350 guests, with roughly 150 outdoor seats facing the water.
Mavericks is the City Dock change Atlas had nothing to do with. Armadillo's owners closed it and reopened the space as a country bar. Naptown Scoop reported in October that Mavericks was open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch, dinner and late-night food, and that it was booking country and rock bands, DJs and line-dancing instructors.
Eastport's closing, its announced exit, and the anchor under new ownership
On the Eastport side, the 2026 changes were mostly losses. O'Leary's Seafood at 310 Third Street announced its final service for August 2 after more than 40 years because it was losing its lease. That address has been a seafood landmark for a long time. In a Baltimore Banner column, Rick Hutzell noted that the building was home to Sadler's Seafood, which "almost made it to 50 years of serving crabs," before O'Leary's moved in.
Ruth's Chris has announced it will leave. In April, the restaurant's franchise owner, Steve de Castro, told Eye On Annapolis that "the Eastport restaurant will be closing" when the steakhouse moves to Annapolis Town Center, with the new location targeted for late fall 2026.
Boatyard Bar & Grill at 400 Fourth Street stayed open, but its ownership changed. In January, Atlas Restaurant Group announced a majority-ownership partnership with founder Dick Franyo, who opened the restaurant in 2001. The Banner reported that Franyo would stay on as operator, that general manager Kevin Schendel would keep his job, and that the goal was to keep the Boatyard substantially the same.
Atlas's only Eastport stake is a 25-year-old local favorite the group bought into. The new building and the new concepts all landed on the City Dock side of the creek.
On West Street, new owners are promising to keep the old place
The independents that changed hands this year did not go to large groups. 49 West Coffeehouse, Winebar & Gallery at 49 West Street became Myriam Osorio McCormick's on September 1, 2026. She owns McCormick Bakery & Chocolate Factory and bought the business from Brian and Sarah Cahalan. According to Eye On Annapolis, the staff stays, the live music room keeps running, and many menu favorites remain. The main addition is a sweets counter with McCormick chocolates, pastries and desserts. The new owners also live locally.
The Cahalans opened their place in Annapolis before Starbucks arrived in 2001, and Hutzell wrote in The Banner that they "created a public square in Annapolis centered on a cup of coffee." Before 49 West, the building housed Crate Cafe for 12 years. Naptown Scoop's October schedule still listed live music at 49 West.
Two doors up, Tsu, formerly Tsunami, is in a slower transition. The Banner reported in July that both the business and its building at 51 West Street were for sale, and that the restaurant would stay open during the sale.
Out in West Annapolis, InGrano Bistro Bakery added a morning café at its existing restaurant. It runs daily from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with coffee, pastries and a growing breakfast menu, and it soft-opened October 25.
Town Center picks up the steakhouse
The Ruth's Chris move also changes Annapolis Town Center. The steakhouse is taking the 10,150-square-foot former Chop House space, a long-vacant spot. Guests enter at ground level and take stairs or an elevator up to a second-floor dining room overlooking the entertainment green. De Castro told Eye On Annapolis the site put the restaurant "where we know our diners are already spending time."
Town Center's lineup is changing at the same time. At 1906 Towne Centre Boulevard, Eye On Annapolis reported in late October that J. Alexander's had closed. True Food Kitchen, at the same address, was reported open in October after its parent chain filed for Chapter 11, and no closure has been announced for the Annapolis location.
So the steakhouse that anchored part of Eastport's dinner scene is moving to a mall courtyard on the other side of town. The new big-room dining went to the downtown waterfront. Eastport's longest-running seafood house closed.
A November week on the new map
Fall changes how some of these places run. For planning a week out:
- Breakfast downtown: Marmo serves breakfast and lunch daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., then dinner until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
- Breakfast in West Annapolis: InGrano's morning café is open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day.
- Late nights at City Dock: The Admiral's Cup is open noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Mavericks opens Wednesday through Sunday.
- Eastport in the off-season: Boatyard's outdoor tents run April through October, so seating there is indoors for the rest of the year.
- Live music on West Street: 49 West's music room stays open under its new owner.
If you are coming to Annapolis on PCS orders, last year's restaurant recommendations from a neighbor or a sponsor may not match what's open now, especially in Eastport. The PCS Home Team keeps track of these changes for the families we move here, and we're happy to send you our current list for whichever side of Spa Creek you're looking at. Make Your Move Easy — Schedule a Free Consultation.
