Ropewalk's Chincoteague location draws in tourists and locals alike

Walking into Ropewalk Chincoteague, it's tempting to kick your shoes off and dig your feet into the sand. 

Pair that with a hearty seafood dish, a tropical cocktail and live entertainment, and your day is pure relaxation. On an island known for being a vacation spot, the restaurant succeeds at making itself part of the destination. 

“It’s definitely more of an experience than just going out to dinner," said Hannah Thompson, Ropewalk Chincoteague general manager.

The eatery houses a main indoor dining area with sliding glass doors and a full bar, which features a raw bar where customers can see their oysters shucked right in front of their eyes. Upstairs, guests can rent the event space, able to host about 100 people. 

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Outside, beach seating is placed on one side of the restaurant with fire pits, outdoor games and a playground. On the opposite side is the barge bar, a floating deck with its own bar and high-top tables for the 21-and-older crowd.

The restaurant offers live entertainment almost every day in the outdoor seating area and disc jockeys at night on the barge bar.  

"(It) gives our community something out of the ordinary,” Thompson said. 

Ropewalk Chincoteague is one of the island's restaurants with outdoor seating with a water view. Thompson said it is becoming a draw for locals and tourists alike with its unique features and atmosphere. 

Ropewalk Chincoteague is just another endeavor for the restaurant chain. Co-owned by Marc McFaul, Chris Reda and Bill McFaul, it all started with the Ropewalk Tavern in Baltimore. 

The owners expanded to Ocean City and Fenwick Island. This month, the Fenwick Island location reopened as the rebranded Big Eye Jacks, and the chain is looking toward its Bethany Beach location, targeted to open March 2018.  

The Chincoteague location opened in late April. McFaul said the team wanted to expand further south into a fun beach town, and Chincoteague matched what they were looking for. The restaurant's features are based on what the co-owners knew worked in previous locations.

"We thought it would be a good fit for us," he said. 

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Thompson, who has a lot of experience in the restaurant industry, watched the restaurant change hands from The Jackspot to Ropewalk. She said the change has been a positive one.

“It fits the mold for everything that Ropewalk really represents," she said. "I think once they opened their first beach location(s) and then were looking into getting another restaurant, I think this was just screaming Ropewalk." 

Ropewalk holds to the formula that has made the chain successful, offering an almost identical food and drink menu at all of its restaurants. 

For appetizers, Thompson said she's seen the Crab Cake Egg Rolls and Ropewalk Hickory Smoked Wings being the most popular. 

“Something that Ropewalk is known for is our wings," she said. "We smoke them in-house and we have a signature sauce called Victory Sauce; it’s something that you’re not going to find anything else.”

The wings in Victory Sauce have a smoky, spicy flavor. For the egg rolls, crab cake meat fills the egg roll casing and is paired with a sweet Thai chili aioli (a kind of sauce). 

The egg rolls take a traditional Asian dish and make it unconventional. The flavors are different from any egg roll you'd typically order, while showcasing what Ropewalk is most known for — its seafood. 

Along with its oyster selection, Thompson said the steam pots are popular options for families looking for something to share. The Deadliest Steam Pot includes a half pound of snow crab, jumbo shrimp, steamed corn, potatoes and andouille sausage. Butter and cocktail sauce are placed on the side.

“We offer mostly seafood, but we do offer other options for people that don’t want seafood. There’s really something for everyone," Thompson said. 

For those not interested in something fishy, the jerk chicken dish offers a well-seasoned chicken breast, rice and vegetables.

On the cocktail menu, one of the most popular is the Mermaid Water, which includes Cruzan Coconut Rum, Gosling's Bermuda Black Rum, Blue Curaçao, lime and pineapple juice. Another is the Whipsicle, with a taste just like an orange creamsicle, or the Virginia Mule, the restaurant's take on a Moscow Mule. 

The restaurant also offers a late night menu starting at 11 p.m., something different for Chincoteague. 

“After 9 p.m., you really can’t get any food on the island," Thompson said. 

Thompson said the local and tourist response to Ropewalk has been positive. She's interested to see where the restaurant can go from here as it continues to gain popularity. 

“In my opinion, it’s very unique to have this here," she said. "In Chincoteague, (the island) doesn’t really offer anything else like this.”

If you go: 

Location: Ropewalk Chincoteague, 6262 Marlin St. 

Hours: Open daily from 11 a.m. to last call 

Contact: 757-336-0512, facebook.com/RopewalkChincoteague