Mark’s Score 8.3
Salisbury is the largest city on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and is the HQ for one Maryland’s most famous companies, Purdue Chicken. It is primarily a university town, and unlike other parts of the peninsula, neither tourism nor fishing play a large role in its economy or history. If you have ever been on a river cruise in the US there is a good chance that the ship you sailed on was made in Salisbury.
Salisbury was founded by Cecil Calvert, the 2nd Baron Baltimore in 1732. During the Civil War, Salisbury’s central location made it a perfect location to station union soldiers. The city’s location on the spine of the peninsula also made it a major transportation hub on the Eastern Shore. It’s central location, large population, sports and arts facilities, and university make it a prominent cultural center.
Salisbury is not a tourist destination, and with some reason. There are whole swathes of the city you could ignore. The north side of town is primarily strip malls and car dealerships. The west side of town is full of cookie cutter McMansions. Though it is the largest city on the Eastern Shore its downtown is not nearly as lively as those of Easton, Berlin, or Cambridge.
But there are two things about Salisbury that make it special and unique on the Eastern Shore. I have always been a fan of ecclesiastical architecture. Old style ecclesiastical architecture is humanity’s attempt to portray the divine here on Earth. Salisbury’s downtown has three outstanding examples of ecclesiastical architecture, Trinity United Methodist, Faith Community, and ST Peter’s Episcopal churches. The first two are charming late-Victorian confections. But St. Peter’s Romanesque design is my favorite and puts me in mind of Mainz Cathedral in Germany.
The Newtown section, on the opposite side of Route 50 from downtown, is full of charming late-Victorian architecture. The same is true of Main Street, the county courthouse and the commercial buildings around St Peter’s. The new riverwalk along the Wicomico Creek on the south side of town, though not fully reaching its potential, offers an opportunity for a lovely riverside stroll.
Salisbury also houses a perfectly charming zoo. Thanks to Purdue, it also has an impressive minor league baseball stadium, home to the Delmarva Shorebirds. Though I have no idea why this came about, if you love Asian cuisine, Salisbury has a surprising number of excellent restaurants offering a variety of Asian cuisines. If you are a fan of craft beers, Salisbury has four local craft brewers. Which is a good thing because I personally believe that beer and Asian food is a match made in Heaven
Due to the presence of Salisbury University (SU), Salisbury also offers a performing arts scene that would be the envy of cities four times its size. The SU arts program brings a hundred or so very talented young students to town every year. In addition, due to a program of the Maryland Arts Council, SU hosts a number of world-class acts every season.
Salisbury may not be the preferred tourist destination on the peninsula, but it is a great place to live, and it offers many big city benefits, without big city prices.
Places rated in or near Salisbury
| Rating Date | Place | Category | Score |
| 2024 Dec | Mogan’s | Restaurant/Bar | 9.47 |
| 2024 Sep | SU Arts Program | Events | 9.43 |
| 2025 Oct | SoBo’s | Restaurant | 9.43 |
| 2025 May | Tidal Roots | Shop/Farmers | 9.36 |
| 2025 Aug | Market Street Grille | Restaurant/Bar | 9.14 |
| 2024 Sep | Ugly Pie | Shop/Bakery | 9.13 |
| 2025 Mar | Ripieno’s | Restaurant/pizza | 9.04 |
| 2025 Nov | Wild Vibes at the Zoo | Event | 8.98 |
| 2025 Mar | Smoking Monster | Restaurant | 8.93 |
| 2025 Jun | Izza | Restaurant | 8.90 |
| 2025 Jul | Joe’s La Roma | Restaurant | 8.89 |
| 2024 Oct | Bordeleau Winery | Shop/Winery | 8.88 |
| 2025 Apr | Voodoo | Restaurant/ Craft Beer | 8.78 |
| 2024 Sep | How Sweet It Is | Shop/Farmers | 8.75 |
| 2025 Sep | Salisbury Zoo | Museum | 8.70 |
| 2024 Sep | Maryland Folk Festival | Events | 8.68 |
| 2025 Aug | Burnish Beer | Restaurant/ Craft Beer | 8.65 |
| 2024 Nov | Sekei | Restaurant | 8.61 |
| 2024 Dec | Delmarva Home Grown | Shop/Plants | 8.58 |
| 2025 Oct | Manna | Restaurant | 8.58 |
| 2025 Nov | Irish Penny | Restaurant/Pub | 8.57 |
| 2024 Dec | Two Scoops | Shop/Specialty | 8.55 |
| 2025 Jan | Indian Aroma | Restaurant | 8.53 |
| 2025 Apr | Viet Taste | Restaurant | 8.53 |
| 2025 Jan | Evolution Craft Brewery | Restaurant/Craft Beer | 8.46 |
| 2025 Jun | Bury Tavern | Restaurant/Bar | 8.44 |
| 2025 Dec | Candied Yam | Restaurant | 8.41 |
| 2025 Dec | Adam Taphouse Grille | Restaurant/Bar | 8.33 |
| 2025 Sep | Back Street | Restaurant | 8.26 |
| 2025 Aug | Mad Hatter | Restaurant | 8.23 |
| 2025 Jun | Brew River | Restaurant | 8.15 |
| 2024 Dec | Delmarva Model Trains | Event | 8.13 |
| 2025 Feb | Mojo’s | Restaurant/Bar | 8.11 |
| 2024 Oct | Fuji Ramen | Restaurant | 8.04 |
| 2024 Nov | Specific Gravity | Restaurant/Pizza | 8.00 |
Places reviewed in or near Salisbury
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