Eating local in Worcester County, MD is an important part of being involved in the community and helps to support Worcester County Economic Development. Luckily for us, these great restaurants and many more make eating local a pleasure with the highest quality ingredients, genuine customer service, magnetic atmospheres, and community-oriented values.
Check out some of our favorite spots to eat locally on Maryland’s Coast. We promise they will not disappoint! Looking to learn about more of our local businesses? View our news page here!
The Sterling Tavern – Berlin, MD
If you’ve had the delicious homecooked food at the cozy Berlin, MD restaurant, you know that The Sterling Tavern is not a place to be overlooked! Matt and Brooke Borrelli opened The Sterling Tavern in May 2021. The family was avid vacationers of Ocean City before moving to Selbyville, DE 11 years ago and becoming more acquainted with the Worcester County community.
During COVID, Matt was cooking more and more for friends and family, finding new recipes to keep it interesting. Prior to the restaurant opening, he was a sales manager who experienced firsthand the difficulty of selling restaurants when they were all closing down. With a push from his daughter, Maggie Borrelli, and the opportunity to move into an existing restaurant in Berlin, how could they say no? The namesake of their restaurant pays homage to Matt’s grandparents, George and Peg Sterling who owned Sterling’s Tavern in Delaware City where he spent a lot of time when she was younger.
The Sterling Tavern prides itself on offering a great variety of menu options, differentiating them from ordinary bar food, but also keeping reasonable prices and decent portions. Sandwiches, burgers that are never frozen, entrees, ‘red neck charcuterie’ as they call it with sausage, soft pretzels, and beer cheese, plus weekend specials, and more. The restaurant is a great spot for celebrations, a quick drink, or just a place to eat multiple times a week when no one feels like cooking.
There is no lacking of customer service at The Sterling Tavern. From creating special menus for group events to having enough servers and bartenders to spend time with their tables, the staff works to provide a welcoming experience for all. “Providing great service is a must,” Matt says. “Customers are the lifeblood of our business. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
Stop by The Sterling Tavern soon for a variety of specials and events like wing night, bingo, live music on the weekends, NFL specials, and so much more.
Nori Sushi Bar & Grill – Ocean City, MD
Sophia Christian is the owner of Nori Sushi Bar & Grill located in Gold Coast Mall in Ocean City, MD. Originally from Baltimore, Sophia has lived in Worcester County, MD for 34 years, raising 4 kids in town. When her son Yanni Lambrinos entered the culinary program at Worcester Tech, his love for cooking began to grow. His internship was completed at the Flying Fish Cafe & Sushi Bar in Fenwick Island where he learned to roll sushi and excelled.
Sophia decided to open a restaurant with her son as the chef 4 years ago in the old location of a Japanese restaurant in Gold Coast mall. Nori Sushi has been open for 5 seasons and is renowned for being open 7 days a week and never closing except for Thanksgiving and Christmas—even during the pandemic.
The successful sushi spot has won several awards since its opening, including Best of Ocean City and Best of Coastal Style. Sophia Christian herself has received the 2022 Innovator of the Year award from Maryland Capital Entreprises (MCE) for her endeavors with Nori Sushi as well as her 2 other restaurants, Yuzu Sushi Fenwick Island, and Sophia’s Italian Restaurant.
Year-round, Nori Sushi has created a place for the community to enjoy great quality food, and participate in fun events like ladies’ night, family night, and dine-in specials. “Every person who walks through the door, we treat them like family, we want to make them feel welcome,” Sophia says. “It’s all about family.”
Visit Nori Sushi Bar & Grill to experience the best quality sushi, steaks, seafood entrees, fried rice, and more from some of the most talented sushi chefs in town. We can’t wait to see what else is in store for them!
