This Restaurant Is The Most Fascinating In MD, Food Site Says

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Diners who want both good food and a restaurant that tells a story should head to Chick & Ruth's Delly in Annapolis, according to a food site’s inventory of “The Most Fascinating Restaurant In Every State.”

Food Love, whose content includes recipes, food news, and opinion pieces, ranked the selections. Some states had more than one restaurant in the ranking. Illinois had three, and Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine and New York each had two on the list.

Chick & Ruth's, located at 165 Main St., ranked 40th among the 58 restaurants on the list.

Related: Chick And Ruth's Conquers Inflation, Shipping Delays Of Pandemic

Charm, Politics, Food

Editors lauded the retro charm at Chick & Ruth's, saying:

"There's no denying that the main draw to Chick and Ruth's in Annapolis is its giant crab cakes, which have been served here since 1965 (and in surroundings that look little-changed since then). The restaurant is popular with everyone from politicians to sailors and, if you're here on a weekday morning, you'll find that everything momentarily stops at 8.30am for the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag – just as much a matter of pride as the crab cakes."

The pledge also runs at 9:30 a.m. on the weekends. The tradition pays homage to the eatery's location in the state capital.

Politicians who frequent the restaurant have menu items named after them. There's even a booth reserved for the governor, who sits on one side if they're a Republican and the other if they're a Democrat.

Chick & Ruth's is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.

Manager Shelly McFadyen said Chick & Ruth's is special because it's "casual, fun, loud."

"I think it's the atmosphere," McFadyen told Patch in an exclusive interview. "It's the good food, home cooking."

The crab cakes are a crowd pleaser. McFadyen said the recipe is top secret, but they use minimal breading, ensuring a lump cake.

"It's colossal chunks of crab meat in there," she said. "They're awesome. I'm from Southern Maryland, and I don't even make my own anymore."

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The colossal challenges are another draw. Customers can tackle either a 6-pound milkshake or a 1.5-pound Reuben or burger.

If a challenger finishes off their jumbo shake or sandwich alone within an hour, they earn a T-shirt and a social media shoutout.

The host of "Man v. Food" once visited Chick & Ruth's to conquer both the massive shake and sandwich in one sitting. Anybody who completes the "Man v. Food" challenge, finishing their shake and sandwich in time, gets their meal for free.

"We have a wall of shame that we take their picture and put it up," McFadyen said.

The restaurant added a colossal mimosa challenge within the past few years. Multiple people are needed to attempt this feat.

Chick and Ruth's opened six decades ago when Charles "Chick" Levitt launched the business with his wife, Ruth Levitt.

Their son, Ted Levitt, took over after the couple died. He ran the establishment with his wife, Beth Levitt.

The Levitt family sold the deli to Keith Jones in fall 2017. Keith Jones died in January 2021. He was 58.

Keith Jones passed Chick and Ruth's on to Spencer Jones, his son and the restaurant's current president.

Spencer Jones had just graduated from Virginia Tech and started working in Wisconsin before his father's death. Spencer Jones hopes to continue his dad's legacy.

"He was always somebody who was very willing to help other people," Spencer Jones told Patch in a 2022 interview. "It's important to me that we take care of our guests, that we take care of our employees."

To learn more about the history of Chick & Ruth's, read Patch's feature story on the restaurant.

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Food Love Rankings

The selections were based on user reviews, awards and accolades, and first-hand experience by members of the Food Love team.

“There are countless restaurants in America that tell a story – whether it's because they were beloved by presidents or film stars, because they reflect the state’s own fascinating history, or because they were the birthplace of a dish that went on to become iconic,” Food Love wrote.

Tennessee’s Prince’s Hot Chicken in Nashville topped the ranking. As the story goes, its spicy fried chicken "was invented after Thornton Prince’s scorned lover tried to take revenge on him by adding a significant amount of chili and spice to his favorite fried chicken," the site said. "Far from hating it, he loved it – and he spent his time perfecting the recipe before opening his own restaurant."

Rounding out the top five were:

No. 2 Gianni’s at the Villa, in Miami, Florida, housed in the mansion where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived – and died;

No. 3 Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City, founded in 1888 and featured in films and television shows, including the famous Meg Ryan scene in “When Harry Met Sally”;

No. 4 Golden Steer Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada, whose famous diners have included Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio and Natalie Wood; and

No. 5 The Griswold Inn In Essex, Connecticut, built in 1776 to house shipyard workers who worked on the first warship for the American Revolution and steeped in local and national history since.