Mark’s Score 8.6
After hiking the trails of Black Walnut Point, I was ready for lunch. Tilghman Island is small, there are only a handful of places to get food on the island. I decided to try a new place just over the Knapps Narrows at the marina, Big Mack’s Kitchen. It was getting good reviews so I wanted to try it out for myself.
Big Mac’s was opened by owner/chef Chris Mack a bit over a year ago. Big Mack’s motto is “we gonna eat good, I promise.” So, for Mack, it is more about the food than the atmosphere. Though atmosphere was secondary, he did place his restaurant on a salubrious location, with up close views of the narrows, pleasure craft, and fishing boats. Mack’s food is about bold flavors and generous portions in a friendly and inviting atmosphere. This is about casual unpretentious dining that could be defined as coastal American comfort food, Chesapeake-influenced seafood, barbecue, and smokehouse cooking.
Though Mack’s first focus is the food, the first attraction for me was the location. The restaurant is at the foot of the drawbridge with great water and marina views. The restaurant is so close to the narrows you can literally touch the fishing boats from Mack’s patio tables. The dining room has floor to ceiling windows facing the harbor. I was going to sit out on the patio, but I took pity on the lone waitress and decided to sit by the window.
The menu is not extensive and pretty much included items you expect to find at a marina-side bar, with a heavy emphasis on smoke-house dishes. I was hungry after my hike so I skipped the sandwich section and ordered the open face pit turkey entrée. It is a down home sort of dish, slices of smoked turkey on Texas Toast, house fries, and gravy
I don’t often eat opened faced sandwiches, and honestly, I prefer my french fires unadorned save salt. I am a purest, when it comes to fries. But I don’t know if it was the fact that I was hungry, or that it was just a beautiful day and I was in a good mood, but whatever it was, that turkey opened faced sandwich was very satisfying. The turkey was perfectly seasoned and moist. The french fries were crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and not greasy. This dish was exactly what you would expect from a restaurant like Mack’s, and it was done well. I judge not by genre, but by authenticity and quality of the food. This dish was an excellent example of an open-faced sandwich with fries, served in a charming location, and presented unpretentiously but elegant in its simplicity.
So, what do I think about Big Mack’s? Chris Mack delivers precisely what he promised, “we gonna eat good.” And he does it with simple understated elegance. This restaurant delivers on its promise, there is no more to be said.
What else is there to do on Tilghman Island?
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