Celebrating 20 years, Smitty McGee’s is the place to go for entertainment and comfort food. When they opened in 1989, they served 12 menu items. Today, they are proud to present new, creative cuisine, like Flat Bread Pizzas and Ciabatta Sandwiches. In total, they now serve 138 menu items. The top seller on their extensive menu is their house special—Wings. Smitty McGee’s sells nearly three tons of fresh chicken wings per year, in a variety of flavors: mild, inferno, key west, bourbon, old bay, honey BBQ, and garlic parmesan.
    In need of satisfying comfort food, my best buddy, Ceil, and I headed to Route 54 in West Fenwick Island this week to sample the new menu items at Smitty McGee’s. Our knowledgeable server, Lisa, greeted us and presented an array of menu options: the new menu, the regular menu, and the Mexican Monday menu. She pointed out the house specialties, which are highlighted in green on the menu. Lisa is one of 85 servers who complete the summer staff at Smitty McGee’s. When the restaurant first opened, they originated with 16 staff members. Now, 50 smiling faces compose the year-round staff. One visit to Smitty McGee’s and you’ll see for yourself—the staff keeps the atmosphere filled with fun. All day and all night on Thursday, June 18, staff and customers celebrated Smitty McGee’s 20th Anniversary Party with food and drink specials and live entertainment by Randy Lee Ashcraft and The Lauren Glick Band. The event also included a 20-year reunion for former employees.
    Whether you missed the celebration or partied into the night with 20-year devotees, you’ll find that Smitty McGee’s summer calendar is jam-packed with more entertainment and specials. The establishment hosts one of the longest happy hours in town, Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 4-7 p.m. Mexican Monday serves up $1.50 tacos and favorites like burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, chimichangas, and queso dip. Every Tuesday, enjoy 50-cent clams and oysters, and bring your friends to compete in Team Trivia at 7:30 p.m. Each Wednesday night from 4-8 p.m. is Bike Night, with a $50 gift card awarded to the best bike. Wednesday is also Yuengling Wing Thing night, with food and drink specials. Randy Lee Ashcraft & the Saltwater Cowboys showcase live entertainment on Thursday and Friday nights. Need some hair of the dog? Saturday and Sunday is the Bloody Mess from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a $6.99 Bloody Mary Bar. Saturday night is also Band Night at 8 p.m. Upcoming acts include The Lauren Glick Band on Saturday, June 20, Randy Lee Ashcraft & The Saltwater Cowboys on June 27 and July 4, and Lower Case Blues on July 11.
    In addition to live entertainment, you’ll see a high definition, 50-inch, flat-screen television everywhere you look. Smitty McGee’s premiered with only 9 televisions, and today boasts a total of 50! Sports broadcasting is their specialty, and you can play NTN Trivia anytime. With so many televisions, it’s no wonder that Smitty McGee’s doubled in size for their 10-year anniversary in 1999.
    It’s the delicious and innovative food that brings Ceil and I back to Smitty McGee’s year after year. What I love about the new menu is that the creative dishes are healthy—made with fresh ingredients that are truly good for you. Classic appetizers on the menu include Hot Crab Dip, Grouper Fingers, Crabby Cheese Fries, and Garlic Crab Toast—garlic bread topped with Smitty McGee’s Crab Dip and smothered in cheddar and jack cheeses. New creations on the Starters menu are Pigs in a Blanket, Zucchini Sticks, Veggie Tray, Baked Ritzy Macaroni and Cheese, Red Hook Ale Beer Battered Shrimp, and Black Bean and Cheese Quesadilla Rolls. Ceil and I chose the Buffalo Chicken Dip for our appetizer. A cheesy dip with white meat chicken and served with warm tortilla chips, this dish is extra spicy. It is so creamy, and it happens to be Lisa’s favorite. We agree.
    Smitty McGee’s has an impressive Soup & Chili menu, and a Raw Bar with Steamed Shrimp, Clams, Oysters, Garlic Mussels, Stuffed Mushroom Caps, and Oyster Shooters. Some unique salads include the South West, which is topped with corn and black beans; The Wedge, which is topped with bleu cheese dressing and crumbles, bacon, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts; and Confetti, which is a classic Caesar with cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions. All salads, including the Greek, Garden, Spinach, and Tropical, can be topped with a selection of grilled tenderloin, chicken fingers, rock fish, grilled chicken breast, mahi mahi, tuna salad, calamari, tuna steak, baby scallops, shrimp, or grouper. Ceil and I ordered our favorite summertime salad—Tomato & Mozzarella. Light and healthy, this salad consists of fresh mozzarella, garden ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, capers, and balsamic glaze. We had to flip a coin to see who would have the privilege of the last forkful.
    Just a few overstuffed sandwiches on the menu include Grouper, Yellow Fin Tuna Steak, Rock Fish, Mahi Mahi, and Chicken Breast. Burgers are also a tempting option, and a variety of sliders are available, such as Chicken Littles, Rock Fish, and Wild West Sliders—three baby burgers grilled and topped with BBQ sauce, cheddar, bacon, and fried onions. Opting for the healthy choices, Ceil and I practically drooled over the Ciabatta Sandwich menu. The Barrier Island Ciabatta consists of smoked turkey, smoked cheddar, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and roasted red pepper mayonnaise. And the Tidal Wave Ciabatta is an irresistible blend of roast beef, Tzatziki sauce (cucumber, dill, and yogurt), cucumbers, tomatoes, and sprouts. Ceil and I ordered the Hawaiian Ciabatta. A sweet combination of ham, caramelized pineapple, bacon, fried onions, honey BBQ, and Swiss cheese, this oven-baked treat is enormous. We love the blend of sweet and BBQ flavor.
    Although Ceil was ultra tempted to order the Tenderloin Sandwich—filet mignon topped with sautéed onions, melted provolone cheese, and horseradish sauce—we decided to sample one of the new Flat Bread Pizzas. The Veggie Flat Bread Pizza is cool and fresh, with Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts on toasted herb flat bread. The Caprese Flat Bread Pizza consists of garlic butter, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, and balsamic glaze. I’m sure that the next time I visit Smitty McGee’s I will order the Shrimp & Scallop Scampi Pizza, but Ceil and I decided to try the BBQ Chicken Flat Bread Pizza—honey BBQ sauce, fajita seasoned chicken, caramelized pineapple chunks, cheddar and Monterey cheese, and bacon. “I will definitely come back and order this again,” said Ceil, as she savored the taste of a sweet pineapple chunk.
    The menu at Smitty McGee’s is a delightful combination of old classics and new innovations. Visit www.SmittyMcGees.com <http://www.SmittyMcGees.com/> for more details and to view their awesome apparel. Coming by boat? Smitty McGee’s has boat slips for customer parking. Join us for the summer-long 20th Anniversary Celebration.