OCEAN CITY – Ropewalk Ocean City opened on Friday of Memorial Day weekend and immediately became one of the resort’s largest venues and a popular summer attraction.
“We were always looking for a spot in Ocean City, and when this one came up it was a good location and a great view. We just couldn’t turn it down,” co-owner Chris Reda said.
The location on 82nd Street and the bay, formerly Fresco’s, was turned over to Reda and Bill and Marc McFaul on Nov. 1, 2014 and by May the entire restaurant had been expanded and renovated from top to bottom.
“We pretty much gutted the whole place. We wanted to make it more open and brighter where you can see the open water and sunsets,” Reda said. “We wanted to make sure when you walked in the door the first thing you saw was the water … It never ceases to amaze me to see the people line up on the deck at sunset.”
All of the dividing walls throughout the restaurant were removed as well as all the westerly facing windows were replaced with floor to ceiling sliders that remain open most of the time depending on weather. A deck also wraps around the back providing outdoor seating with a front row view of every sunset.
“It feels like you’re outside even when you’re inside. That was a big thing for us,” Reda said.
As far as dining goes, Ropewalk Ocean City seats 600, including two indoor marble top bars and a beach bar. To the south of the restaurant stood open land that was transformed into an outdoor beach area equipped with a playground, games and an ice cream cart. There is also outdoor seating under a pavilion as well as Adirondack seating surrounding fire pits.
“Having a kid’s area was important to us and being at the beach you want to be outside,” Reda said. “It is a great social area, too. It is amazing how many friends are made out there.”
The original Baltimore Ropewalk tavern itself dates back to pre-prohibition and is situated on one of the oldest streets in Federal Hill.
In 1995, the McFaul brothers with their youngest sister, Linda, in 2004 started renovating the collection of spaces. Reda, a real estate agent/developer, came on board soon after in 2005, and together they have opened over a dozen successful business ventures, including Ropewalk Fenwick Island Oyster House in the summer of 2013.
This year the ownership team grew by one, friend and real estate agent/developer Steve Murphy, which led to Ropewalk Ocean City being born.
Specializing in the freshest seafood, meats, poultry and local produce, Ropewalk’s menus compare, including their own featured “Liberty Oysters” farmed daily from their private oyster beds on the Chesapeake.
At Ropewalk Ocean City, Chef Ryan Kaplan’s has put his own creative twists on the menu, such as the popular entrees of the Day Boat Scallops pan-seared with sautéed cherry tomatoes, roasted corn and jumbo lump crab over orzo pasta tossed in a light champagne sauce, and the Atlantic Salmon pan-seared served with island rice, vegetable du jour and drizzled with a citrus glaze.
Ropewalk steamer pots have also proven to be a success with the Deadliest Steam Pot, made of a half-pound of snow crab legs, jumbo shrimp, steamed corn, potatoes and andouille sausage, or Murphy’s Feast, featuring two pounds of snow crab legs, one pound of crawfish, one pound of shrimp, steamed corn, potatoes and andouille sausage.
A list of specialty cocktails have become a hit, including the Ropewalk Mule with Van Gogh vodka, elderflower liquor, ginger beer and fresh squeezed lime or the Star Spangled Slammer layered with blue raspberry, Pina colada and strawberry slushies’ served in a pop rocks rimmed glass garnished with a rocket pop.
Even the Swedish fish in the kid’s Fish Bowl specialty drink don’t go hungry at Ropewalk Ocean City, as servers will go by and sprinkle pop rocks inside.
Ropewalk Ocean City will be open year-round and heading into football season projection screen — both indoor and outdoor — will be set up, along with several large flat screens spread throughout the restaurant.
Ropewalk has also taken on brewing its own craft beer out of Maryland with brews already onsite at the Federal Hill and Fenwick location. The Dawn’s Early Light Summer Shandy and Mermaid’s Tail Pale Ale will soon arrive at Ropewalk Ocean City.
Focusing on getting the doors open in time for the summer season, Ropewalk Ocean City has more to come, Reda stated, with an increase in décor, murals and lush landscaping.
“We are going to increase the vibe to make it that much better,” he said.
Ropewalk Ocean City offers live entertainment throughout the week including steel drums during happy hour daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit Ropewalk OC’s website at www.ropewalkoc.com.