DRY 85

The food was decently good but the staff was even better! Great place for drinks and appetizers.

Generally, I like this place… I have been a fan since they opened and have been numerous times. Staff and beverages are top shelf. However, it is a bar and I would not send anyone there for dinner. It has bar food, executed with a certain amount of originality. However, tonight I shared their «charcuterie» appetizer and it was an absurd ripoff. Seriously, $ 6 per selection of meat and 3 meager pieces of each arrives on a lonely, uninspired board. Soppressata, very suspect that it was actually the italian variety, three slices for $ 6… that is culinary hubris. The second selection appeared to be polly-​o string cheese wrapped-​meat. The manager or chef (etc) needs to do some research and try again.
I had «shrimp and grits» for an entrée… now I am a good cook and have spent time on both sides of the counter but this was cream and everything else was an afterthought. Shrimp were undercooked and lacked flavor. Grits swimming in cream (not quite the consistency of sauce). Monday, off night? Not sure, but go for the drinks and the inspiring selection of bourbon and scotch, eat first.

My new favorite in Annapolis. Finally a whiskey bar! Recommend the steak & quinoa salad. Pair it with the truffle fries.

We went here on a Saturday. It was already 3pm but we still hadn’t had lunch. The soup of the day was mushroom-​spunach-​clam-​crème-​soup. It was very creamy and good. I had a burger with blue cheese, fig sauce and caramelized onion. It sounds special but it didn’t really taste different. However it did taste good. The truffle fries were very good. We also ordered some fried pickles. I didn’t like these, I couldn’t taste the pickle. They have a nice menu for alcohol; it is a separate one.

After reading the reviews to just come here for drinks I feel like a dummy. Waited for 45 mins for a table that was supposed to take 20. Waited super long for seafood Mac and cheese app that had ONE shrimp on it and was super disappointing for 12 $. Thought burgers would be safe but they were over cooked and dry. Service was so so and food was Lame. My old fashioned was delicious. Drinks only my friends! Bummed out because I live around the corner from this place and we have tried it several times. Keep wanting it to be good:(

Service was good. I had a fantastic chardonnay — Heavyweight chardonnay from the tap! Very buttery. My husband’s burger was very good but that was pretty much it. Our chicken fingers were overcooked, but could have been delicious if it hadn’t been overdone. My BLT was disappointing. Bacon was overcooked & who serves white bread nowadays when there’s so much bread out there that helps make the sandwich even better? I’ll come back for a burger & some other appetizers, but I think it’s a drink place.

Good beer selection and good cocktails. Very difficult to get a table at night. The food is pretty good, but very heavy.

We came here several times since it was first open. It is one of a very few restaurants we’d consider eating in downtown Annapolis. Staff is always friendly, and drinks are great (I don’t drinks, but my husband loves their selections).
We had family dinner here yesterday after not visiting the restaurant for about a year. Staff is still very friendly, drinks are still good according to the rest of the family (wine and beer). Food was inconsistent though. We started with wings (bourbon bbq and pomegranate), they were great, always love them. I also got a bowl of chicken chowder, which I had before, and it was as delicious as I remember. Some people enjoyed their warm steak quinoa salad and blue cheese fig burger (two items that are widely loved by family and friends over the years). My husband also ordered fried chicken 12 for the first time, and the chicken was done perfectly.
Then here comes the inconsistent part. 98% of the time when I’m here, I order honey glazed grilled salmon salad. It was always perfect, until yesterday. The fish was slightly fishy because the gray/​darker part between skin and meat was not cut off completely. For salmon, that’s going to make it fishy… I could have removed it myself, but that’s also where the «glaze» was. I did not finish my salad which rarely happens. Also, my brother in law’s medium rare filet mignon was not really medium rare, nor was it close to medium. He was too embarrassed to say anything (he thought it was mean to do so) but my husband mentioned (nicely) to our server and the server offered to have the steak redone. The second steak came out great. We were later comped a warm apple pie which was freshly done in the house, with perfect crust, though I personally thought there was slightly too much nutmeg that was a bit overpowering.
We’re guessing maybe the inconsistency came from the fact that it was a week day night that maybe some kitchen staff might be off?

We popped in here as a part of our stroll through town– the name intrigued us. What an education we got from the bartender Grace. Her knowledge of everything on the drink menu was beyond amazing. She truly takes pride in her craft! This establishment is lucky to have her for their business!

Great location with great selections of Beer and Bourbon. Excellent staff –very friendly.
I had a burger. Quality ingredients, expertly cooked.

Why oh why have we not eaten here before!!!
Had a long overdue datenight/​weekend and picked here for brunch before going to the Ravens game. Sweet Fancy Moses.
First, major kudos to Ashley for being a fan-​frigging-​tastic server. Best in Annapolis. She was friendly and funny.
We got there right when it opened at 10. Watched the bartender fresh squeezing oranges for mimosas. That’s what you want to see. Deciding what to get was so hard! And then Ashley mentioned the special. Country fried chicken on a homemade biscuit with sausage and mushroom gravy with potato hash. The hubs got that and there wasn’t a speck of anything left of his plate. I managed to snag a tiny piece of the biscuit. Holy cow, was that good!
I had the «Toast Topper». Texas toast topped with walnuts, honey, goat cheese and bacon. It was the perfect combo of sweet and salty. I needed another piece and a half or so. I also completely cleaned my plate. Seriously one of the best brunches I’ve ever had in my life. MY WHOLE LIFE.
We then splurged because… because and got the chocolate covered bacon. Because… CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON… rolled in Heath Bar Crunch. We were pleasantly stuffed when we rolled ourselves out of there and up the road. Now we have to go back for dinner. Seriously.
My highest rating: SWEET FANCY MOSES

The burgers are awesome. Perfectly cooked. Medium is a little pink. So, if you don’t like pink, order medium well. I had the blue cheese and fig burger. Juicy, but not messy. Grear combination of flavors. My fussy hubby had the Dry 85 burger and was quite satisfied.
Good selection of craft beers, along with all the whiskey.

I need to preface this review by saying I have never taken the time to write a review on Unilocal before, but was so impressed by Dry 85 that I felt the need to dust off the account specifically so I could give kudos.
Friday early evening, my boyfriend and I were later than we wanted to be for a wedding but we still needed food so we randomly took a chance on Dry 85. We were all dressed up and likely looked ridiculous but were warmly welcomed. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly and pleasant, and the bartender was quite accommodating of our need to hurry. We got 2 drinks and 2 appetizers (the fried pickles and the garlic/​parmesan hand-​cut fries) and everything was to die for! Between mouthfuls we were like, «OMG So Good.»
It was good enough that we decided to return for lunch the next day. We walked over from our hotel and got a seat. Immediately the bartender greeted us. Ashley was our server and she was just fantastic! She was funny, knowledgeable and prompt; a real delight to be around. The bartender was incredibly knowledgeable too — we learned that certain parts of the restaurant were from the Natty Boh factory, and the bottles mounted on the walls are real artifacts from the prohibition era.
Our food was deliciously on-​point for the second day in a row. We got the fries again (because it would be stupid not to), and I got the open-​faced pulled pork. My boyfriend got the BBQ burger that was on special that day. We opted for salads with our meals and they came out looking crisp and fresh (and ended up tasting that way, too… the home made dressings are awesome)! In fact, everything there is made from scratch. Yum yum!
The friendliness of the staff is a pretty big deal to me because I grew up not far from Downtown Annapolis and I never liked going there. I never found the vibe to be friendly or welcoming. The folks at Dry 85 could teach some neighboring restaurants a thing or two :)
Sorry for the novel, but this place really deserves as much good feedback as possible! I will absolutely be returning. If you haven’t checked this place out yet, stop what you’re doing and go there immediately!

So many drinks, so little time! But our expert bartender made the experience exciting and fun. There’s plenty of straight bourbons here, of course. But it’s fun to order new, mixed drinks and the bartenders are genuinely interested in introducing those to you. They’ve got a couple whiskey’s aging in a barrel off to the side that they serve. Our bartender was knowledgeable and helpful in ordering and there’s a full bar with many unique beer choices too.

One of the best bars in Annapolis! I will post more on this after I enjoy my current experience.

Best service, best booze, best food! Seriously have had nothing but incredible experiences here. I got the black bean quinoa burger with fried egg on top and never fails to make me happy. One person at our table got the special which was a blackened burger with blue cheese bacon and blueberry BBQ chutney. Both were incredibly delicious. Our server cracked us up all night! And the nitrogen beer with more than 9% alc was AMAZING! Will probably become a regular…
Our waiters name is Frank and he reminds us of a cooler version of Seth rogan! 100% awesome dude

Pretty solid and snazzy bar, if I may say so myself. Modernized Prohibition feel, almost cliché industrial Restoration Hardware-​ish décor, but the heart of it all is most definitely THE WHISKEY. I just love the idea of Dry 85 in Annapolis. The concept of really really good liquor with local/​fresh food seems to be an anomaly in this part of Maryland, or just this side of the country. I’m not sure, but I like it!
We had some really awesome mid-​grade whisk (e)y selections, at least 4 different cocktails, and a ton of their freshly made chips with Sriracha ketchup. Unfortunately, we already ate before we came, so I’ll save the food review for a later date. And by later, I mean this weekend, for their Sunday Bacon Brunch. Yes, bacon.
We attempted to unwisely select our whisk (e)y at first, but the menu was overwhelming, to say the least. We went with some moderately priced recommendations from the bartender, and they were all perfect. Smoky, oak barrel flavors, fruity notes, whoa! We got it all. We also ordered an Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, and I See Red. All liquor-​forward cocktails that give you the bang for your buck. I especially love that they mixed in some in-​house concoctions with their traditional Prohibition era cocktails. But not the usual Annapolis trash of well liquor and grenadine. Nope, they use house made infusions, egg white, all kinds of awesome bitters. Mind Blown.
If you’re tired of the usual drunken midshipman selections of downtown Annapolis. This place is your best bet for a good time!

4 ½. The name may be «Dry» but the food is exciting, the drinks are creative and the service is pretty decent.
Came here on a Saturday night around 730. It was packed, but I guess you shouldn’t expect anything less on a Saturday night in downtown Annapolis. Located right off main street, Dry 85 is one of the «Go-​to» places in the area. If not for the awesome food, for their huge selection of well drinks, local brewed beers, whisky and bourbons. I had the Cappuccino Stout by Lagunitas Brewing Company while I waited. If your into stouts and enjoy coffee you’ll love this twist.
We came with a group of 7 not really knowing their was only two tables really that could accommodate. However, even with it being super busy, it only took us about 45 minutes to get seated and not soon after had a table full of appetizers. We ordered the Fried Green Tomatoes, 2 of the House Smoked Salmon Crostini with Avocado apps, Seafood Mac ‘n Cheese and the Fried Pickles. Every single one of them had something to rave about. I normally don’t list off descriptions but want to assist you in getting your mouth to water right now with my two favorites of my list above.
House Smoked Salmon Crostini — Ho-​Ly-​Mo-​LeY~! I am pretty sure there was a billion flavors in this! Pepper crusted Salmon with Sriracha Goat cheese candied bacon and some creamed avocado. It was an awesome savory app to kick off the night with and finished off with a little heat from the Sriracha. We ordered two and they were gone within 2 minutes. But I personally think when getting a salmon dish you can’t beat this price at 11 bucks.
Fried Green Tomatoes — A classic southern dish spun into a refined pallet tickler. Fried perfectly! I wasn’t sure exactly what was in the sauce but the server said it was a kind of Blood Orange reduced Balsamic glaze and a type of cream sauce. Definitely on the sweeter side, but complements the tomatoes perfectly. Going from the spice of the salmon to the sweet of this dish was perfect.
Wait! It gets better. I ordered their Blue Cheese and Fig burger. Yep, sounds crazy but was absolutely savory and sweet all in one. My burger came out at the perfect Medium. The Fig Sauce and caramelized onions definitely added that sweet side but were balanced by the Blue cheese which I actually wish there was a little more of but it still tasted great.
Overall our server was awesome and food service was spot on. But, here it is; My only complaint. I understand that it was busy. But the host was slightly off putting and to be honest came of a little grouchy. It was busy, but you should still do your best to make sure you smile a little and not come off as impatient with your guests.
Alright, so if you are in town from out of town, or live in the area and haven’t checked this placed out you should jot it down on your bucket list. You won’t regret your decision and I would be willing to bet your first visit will most likely not be your last.

A friend recommended trying this place so I did. I came here on a Friday night with a friend to crab dinner and drinks and we were seated all the way in the back corner. I’ve tried many places in downtown Annapolis and I must say this was my least favorite. For starters we order there wings and they were fairly decent. For our entrée, we order their burger and it was awful. The meat was way over cooked and extremely dry that I couldn’t t even finish my meal. However I’m not the one to complain so I just wouldn’t be coming back.
The ambiance was very loud and the service sucked. Our waitress was not attentive nor was she friendly. We weren’t asked how the food was or if we need a refill on our drinks and I wouldn’t recommend anyone coming here. Unless you’re in the area just to grab a few drinks, but the food just isn’t worth it.

Service (²⁄₅): Lackluster. Sat down to dinner and our waiter did not come to the table until we flagged down the hostess, who called him over. He didnt remember who got what drink, so they were just put on the table. One of the appetizer never made it to the table and thankfully never on the bill.
Food (³⁄₅): Passable. Overall, trying to be an upscale bar menu but nothing inspiring.
Side salad came with a lemony vinaigrette dressing that was citrus and creamy. I would recommend it.
Blue cheese and fig burger was pretty dry. No taste of the blue cheese or fig. I would not recommend.
Drinks (⁵⁄₅): Inspired. Great selection of beers, bourbon, whiskey, etc. I got a cocktail mixed with bourbon. It was delish.
Bottom line: Go for a few drinks at the bar and some appetizer. Save your appetite for another restaurant on Main Street.