Courtney's -seafood - Ridge

Wife and I were in the area we were going to goto a restaurant around the corner for my birthday but it was closed, when I looked at 10am while I was at the eye Dr it showed they open at 11 when we got there it was closed. So, I went on Yelp and saw Courtney's was around the corner so that's where we headed. When you first pull up your going to think HMmm we sure did, when pulling up to the restaurant there's some nice old homes and then you see a bunch of travel trailers rite on the water and what looks like a building that is in bad shape on the left and the restaurant on the right. The restaurant could really use a good paint job on the outside so I parked in front of the building, my wife and I looked at each other and we said well we can at least go in and get a drink and look at the menu. When you walk in the door it's a bar and the kitchen is straight back, well when we walked in there was a bag of groceries on a table with lettuce and cheeses and other items. On the floor was a 40-50lb bag of potatoes on another table was a 30lb bag of panko crumbs. We heard talking but couldn't see them I looked in the kitchen and there were 2 lady's when I finally got the attention of the lady on the phone she said just sit anywhere. Well we walked in the dining room and it is dated very old, the old wood floors would look fabulous if they would clean them. They need more than a mopping they need sanded down, I don't think this place has ever been remodeled since it opened. In the back corner of the dining room is an area that looks like an office with a large screen tv on the wall a desk and computer. We noticed a small salad bar in the back so we went to check it out, it looked really good and fresh with a good amount of items on it so we sat at a table close to it. A lady came over with menus told us about the fish they had for the day and took our drink order. We decided to stay after looking at the salad bar, the wife had fried shrimp dinner with the salad bar and I had the soft shell crab dinner with salad bar it also had soup on it. I got us both soup it was a vegetable crab and then we made our salad plate, again everything was really fresh and lots of good things for making a good salad. The soup was delicious it could have had a little more crab meat in it but it did have a really good flavor to it. I asked the server if she made it and she said no her mom makes it, we asked who Courtney is she said that her dads last name. At first we were the only ones there by the time our food came there were 4 more tables. Our food came out it looked really good and smelled good also, there were 8 shrimp on my wife's plate and 2 soft shells on mine. The shrimp were very good, I wish they hadn't flattened the shrimp I would have liked to had seen them maybe butterflied a little or just left alone and a lighter batter used to fry them. Now the soft shells were battered very nice the only issue I had was the large crab had already passed it soft shell too much the claws were kind of papery the legs were just not good to eat. Now the meat inside the large crab was good but not as good as the smaller crab on the plate, 3 small crabs would have been better than that large one. Over all the food was good and that salad bar was by far the best you'll find in St Marys probably the only one. We will be back to eat again for sure that salad bar and soup really was nice and try something different for a main dish. Afterwords we took a walk around I've included some photos.

The seafood doesn't get any fresher than Courtney's. Tommy Courtney catches the fish that very morning, serving it at lunch and dinner. It is simply prepared, but very delicious. You won't find fancy, elaborate meals here, just fresh, tasty and honest food. Don't expect to get out of there quickly, though; this isn't a place you go for a quick bite to eat. If they have fresh homemade blackberry cobbler as a special, DON'T MISS IT!

Arrived from DC at 6 PM last Tuesday and had the picnic tables all to myself. Went inside the cinder block restaurant and put in my order with Mrs. Courtney (head chef). She told me to go back outside; that she would call me when the fish was done cooking. About 20 minutes later, she did just that The rockfish and sides were excellent. The sunset was lovely. On my way out, Mr. Courtney (owner and waterman) spoke to me. He's got the rugged face of a longtime fisherman. He catches the rockfish in his pond net in the Chesapeake Bay, the old fashioned way. He then brings them to the restaurant by 7 AM. You can't get much fresher fish than that--it's caught the day you eat it. This husband and wife team has been serving the public at their namesake restaurant for over 50 years. I respect what they do. Yeah, the fish is a bit pricey, but these folks are dedicated senior citizens who earn their keep the hard way. It's not received a Michelin star, but if you want to witness the authentic waterman culture of St. Mary's County in action, Courtney's Restaurant is a good example.

Unpretentious atmosphere, food tastes and feels homemade (including the bread! , service is pretty laid back. courtney's is found at the very end of wynne rd. it is ran by a husband and wife team, with the husband crabbing and fishing, and the wife cooking. i love the peace and quiet of eating here and just watching the gulls and the water.

Arrived late at Marina and had to walk the miles and a half to the restaurant but it was well worth it. The owners and staff were so courteous and accommodating. We called ahead to make sure they would still be open and they said they would wait for us. The food was amazing with momma cooking in the kitchen. Topped the meal off with homemade blackberry cobbler Prices reasonable for fresh local food. Highly recommend