Chesapeake Bar & Grill | Martinsburg, WV

Taste The Chesapeake

Written By: Audrey Knapp

Are you looking for an extraordinary seafood restaurant that also serves other incredible dishes? Look no further than the new Chesapeake Bar & Grill location in Martinsburg which continues the restaurant’s tradition of receiving rave reviews.

“I just fell in love with the menu,” says Dave Rigotti who had stopped in at the Winchester Ave location for the first time in June of last year. He started talking with owner Jackie Hart about the business. After agreeing that they wanted to work together, they began looking into opening a new location.

“Once the ball got rolling, it just kept going,” and they were able to open the Bar & Grill last December. It was perfect timing for Dave, and he felt like it was fate that brought him to Jackie and the Chesapeake Crab Company. “This is what I’m supposed to be doing!”

Dave and Jackie are ideal business partners. She runs the heart of the business, while he ensures all of their paperwork is in order and they remain in compliance. They both share an endless spring of enthusiasm for what they provide to the community and positive ambition for the future of the restaurant. Dave describes Jackie as being the “everything” and the heart of the business. Her primary focus is serving exceptional meals to her patrons.

“She’s a perfectionist about food preparation and presentation, and the recipes.” Dave says, emphasizing how she works diligently to ensure the recipes are the best that they can be.

It’s a warm and friendly environment too, as many of the staff are friends and family.

Skylar White, Jackie’s son, and Korey McCarthy, one of the leading chefs, grew up together in nearby Boonsboro and have worked for Jackie for years. As their knowledge and aptitude for the business grew, they helped bring on some of the best staff from among their most trusted friends. Their dedication to the restaurant has helped ensure the staff have a united vision for the future and a passion for serving the community. These tight connections among staff have contributed a family-feeling to the atmosphere, and made it a place that they love to come and work.

The decor of Chesapeake Bar & Grill is welcoming as well. Cool but friendly in hues of blue and white, it’s the perfect seaside setting for a great seafood dinner. Local artist Kirby Lewis, a master in recycled art, was commissioned to create custom pieces and paint art on the walls.

His work ties together strongly, from piece to piece throughout the restaurant to fulfill the theme and give the restaurant a real shoreline ambiance.

“What excites me is the menu,” Dave says. “We have a solid menu with a seafood base, and we have food for land lovers, too.” He adds reassurance that they have great food for everyone, and even those with shellfish allergies can enjoy dinner here as the kitchen staff takes great care to avoid cross contamination.

For those with allergies or hungry for something other than seafood, there’s plenty of menu left.

“Tender, flavorful, and cooked to perfection,” one diner commented regarding her NY Strip. Many are surprised at the high quality of the steaks considering that seafood is the primary focus. These steaks are thick, beautiful, and thoroughly exquisite.

You might want to dedicate a trip just to try the Raspberry Chipotle Burger – heat, sweet, and chargrilled all within one magnificent bun! These burgers are thick, cooked to order, juicy, and delicious with the perfect grilled flavor. Get the fresh, crisp, uncommonly good coleslaw and a draft beer to go with your burger.

Or try the staff favorite “Luca Dog”. This 100% beef hot dog is wrapped in bacon, smothered in caramelized onions & coleslaw, topped with honey mustard, and served in a pretzel bun. Definitely add a beer to this meal to get the full effect. The staff are ready to give their recommendation as to which best complements this mouthwatering meal.

For sides, be sure to give the coleslaw a try as it’s uncommonly fresh, crisp, and light tasting. Also ask for the cucumber and onions, a creamy Greek-inspired dish that makes a delightful appetizer. Handcut fries and chips await your tasting pleasure, and the staff is eager to serve them as these specially-created items are yet another point of pride.

They offer a robust drink menu to complement the food, which includes the exciting new Wine on Tap technology. Dave believes they’re the first to have it in the entire state of West Virginia! The tap operates with specific percentages of Co2 and Nitrogen (different for red and white serving units) in order to prevent any carbonation of the wine.

Wines on tap include Milbrandt Pinot Gris, Butternut Chardonnay, Jeff Runquist 1448 Red, and Annabella Pinot Noir. This is a unique and delicious experience that Jackie and Dave are excited to offer to patrons. The heart of the Chesapeake Bar & Grill is the seafood, of course.

“We’re here to provide high quality, made-to-order seafood that is incomparable to anything in the surrounding area.” Korey, one of the leading chefs states proudly. “We do our best to bring the Inner Harbor to West Virginia, and nowhere within 60 miles has seafood as fresh as ours.”

“We pride ourselves in providing perfectly flavored, generous portions of our classic family recipes with fast and friendly service,” Korey says, emphasizing the importance of providing the best food and service possible every time. “When you come to Chesapeake Bar & Grill, we want you to feel as if you’re having the best fish fry of your life at a family reunion.”

That enthusiasm for providing great food and service is reflected in the experiences of the customers. Dave loves their patrons just as much as the patrons love the restaurant. Dave and the rest of the staff can be witnessed greeting their faithful regulars.

It’s not just the friendly service that keeps them coming back though; it’s the food!

“The shrimp are big and awesome,” one diner stated enthusiastically. When asked about the shrimp, another diner stated they’re “amazing, that’s all I can say!” The shrimp, perfectly moist and plump, are an easy selection for many. Chesapeake Bar & Grill serves a variety of shrimp including panko, flash-fried, cocktail, lemon, and a coconut shrimp which comes with an orange marmalade sauce.

Others dive into the crab legs, the meat so moist that it slides out of the shell just right. These colossal legs are flavored all the way through, with just a hint of salt – perfect to bring out the flavor without overpowering it. Crab dishes include crab dip, crab cakes, and snow crab.

A sampling of other favorites includes the Drunken Mussels, the Calamari, Rockefeller Oysters, and, of course, the hefty, succulent, savory lobster plates.

Presentation of all of the food is always clean and enticing, peaking your hunger as you dig in. The look, appetizing scents, and rich taste is just right with each menu item as the staff strives to cook every madeto- order plate to perfection, just like Jackie does.

Chef Korey is quite proud of the menu (especially the sauces) and all that they serve at the Chesapeake Bar & Grill.

“We have some of the basics,” he says, referring to items such as the fried and coconut shrimp, “but then we have the exciting items that you can’t just go down the road and get at another place.”

Jackie, Dave, Skylar, Korey, and all the staff at Chesapeake Bar & Grill are proud to serve Martinsburg the best, freshest seafood that they can and be a real, active part of the community.

“We appreciate the love we’ve gotten from the community,” Skylar says, “and we look forward to becoming a favorite place in Martinsburg.” When you find yourself ready for a new and remarkable dining experience in Martinsburg, be sure to stop by Chesapeake Bar & Grill at 1211 North Queen St. They’re ready to cater to all patrons, lovers of both seafood and land-food!