The first Maryland oyster farm to launch a restaurant, True Chesapeake Oyster Company, offers oysters grown on their farm in St. Jerome’s Creek, Southern Maryland. St. Jerome’s Creek might be unfamiliar to you, but that’s alright. Because it hasn’t been overdeveloped, overpopulated, or anything else for that matter. The farm is tucked away in this idyllic, isolated region of the Chesapeake. Long before the founders even learned about them, the locals were aware of these amazing eco-conditions. Researchers discovered in the late 1800s that St. Jerome Creek, a large but shallow lagoon, is the perfect location for oyster spawning. That still holds true now.

The centerpiece of True Chesapeake’s menu are the oysters, served raw, roasted, and in specialties like Classic Rockefeller and Oyster Stew, along with various seasonal meals and inventive takes on traditional beverages. Through “restorative dining,” a dining experience that honors the farm’s richness and is genuinely designed to revive body and spirit, the True Chesapeake team hopes to extend the restorative techniques of the farm to the soul of this restaurant. They serve spirit-free cocktails, like the N/A Baltimore Southside, made with lemon, lime, mint, and ginger. There are also N/A wine and a selection of N/A beers. Aside from delectable oysters, you can pair these drinks with salads, burgers, and pasta.