Dundalk Readers' Choice: Seasoned Mariner for Brunch

In light voting—perhaps everyone was too busy shopping for Mother's Day gifts—Dundalk Patch readers have selected The Seasoned Mariner as Dundalk's best place to go for brunch.

With 24 votes cast, the Mariner received 12 votes.

Squire's Restaurant was second with six votes, and the other three restaurants garnering votes—Costas Inn, the Poplar Inn and the Seahorse Inn—each received two nods.

At the Seasoned Mariner on Friday, employees were excited to hear of the Patch honor. But there wasn't much time to soak in the excitement—they were busy preparing for a wedding on Saturday and Mother's Day on Sunday.

Chef Bob Armiger said he's added a few special dishes to the menu for the day held in honor of mothers everywhere, in addition to customer favorites that are always available.

"I'll have fried green tomatoes," he said.

He laughed when asked if the fried vegetable slices are popular.

"They were about ready to hang me when I stopped them for about three weeks," he said of his customers. "I had to bring them back."

He's also offering an asparagus with crab meat appetizer that he said is "very nice," and a spinach and fresh berries salad.

Entrees available Sunday will include a seafood platter (fresh tilapia, jumbo shrimp, scallops, oysters and a six-ounce crab cake), Filet Neptune (a filet mignon topped with shrimp, scallops, crab, mushrooms and a demi-glaze), and Rockfish Maryland (wild rockfish pan-fried and topped with crab, roasted corn and tomatoes.

To make the outing a true family affair, a kids' menu, which includes a hot dog, chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese, is available.

As of Friday afternoon, reservations for more than 100 customers were already booked, according to Armiger.

The waterfront restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating.

"If you sit outside, you'll think you're in Hawaii," bartender Patti Berezne said. "It's beautiful, with all these palm trees."

Armiger said procrastinators can still make arrangements to take Mom out to dinner.

"I don't have anything available between 4 and 6 p.m., and 3 is getting busy, but we can still accept reservations at other times," he said. "It's going to be a wild time."