Water Street Seafood – Where Classy Meets Casual Opens in Havre de Grace

Growing up in New England, I have always been a seafood lover. I grew up on lobster and chowder.

After moving to Maryland to attend Towson University, I was introduced to steamed crabs and instantly fell in love. Over the past 21 years in Maryland, I’ve enjoyed dining at local seafood restaurants – so much so that I created the Baltimore Seafood Fest in 2014 so locals could experience Baltimore’s best seafood in one spot.

When I moved to Havre de Grace, I immediately scoped out the restaurant scene. While there are many fabulous eateries in town, I was shocked to discover there was no seafood restaurant. 

While I am relatively new to Havre de Grace, many locals have mentioned Price’s Seafood, which has sat vacant on Water Street for many years.

Theresa Riedel-Ray, owner of Water Street Seafood, is no stranger to the hospitality industry. With over 20 years experience, many know Theresa from Sweet Devotions – a cupcake and crepe shop and the Lunch Box at APG.

This past fall, Theresa noticed the “for rent” sign at 654 Water Street. Remembering the popular Price’s Seafood, she thought to herself, “this is a goldmine,” and immediately called the realtor. When she mentioned opening a restaurant to her husband, Deward Ray, he was not as excited as she had hoped. “Nope, nope, nope. You’re crazy,” Deward stated.

Theresa and Deward actually met at the Tidewater Grille in 1993, where he was the Executive Chef. While he loves the restaurant scene, he also understands the time commitment and stress that comes along with owning one – not to mention opening in the midst of a global pandemic.

When Water Street Seafood launched their Facebook page and announced they were opening up at the former Price’s Seafood location, locals went crazy.  In a day and a half, they had over 1,000 followers.

Preparing the restaurant for opening has truly been a family affair – with many family members and close friends pitching in to get the restaurant up and running. Their coolest find was a bunch of beer bottles from the 50’s and 60’s. Rumor has it that there were no interior walls – customers would drink their drinks and stick them on the wood.

It has been exciting to see their progress – their posts make everyone feel like they are experiencing the ups and downs of restaurant ownership along with the Rays.

From the brightly colored shutters and picnic tables to the colorful interior – it is obvious that Theresa is a “beach lover” at heart. I adore the helm above the cozy fireplace and the surf board in the restroom – it truly has a “beachy vibe.”

Most restaurants have table numbers, but Water Street Seafood’s tables are named after places in Maryland. There’s the Smith Island table, Crisfield table and Havre de Grace table – each with its own unique painting. Keeping up with Covid, there are QR codes next to each table where guests can use their smart phones to access the menus.

Executive Chef John Tzits, known as Sox, is a Havre de Grace High School graduate. John has worked at the Tidewater Grille, Lagom and The Crazy Swede. The menu is every seafood lover’s dream – Chesapeake Fondue, Spanish Octopus, steamed crabs, oysters and seafood linguini. There’s something for everyone – even burgers, steak, chicken and salads for the non-seafood lover.

Although Deward won’t be heading up the kitchen, he will be steaming crabs come summertime. “I told him that if he wanted to see his wife, he needs to come down here,” Theresa laughs.

As a mother of four, I always ask if an establishment is kid-friendly. I was excited to learn that Water Street Seafood will indeed be family-friendly and a kid’s menu will be available.

Theresa, although exhausted from the long hours, cannot wait to open the doors. “I want to be the local place, but also for tourists to be comfortable. I want to be known as THE crab house in Harford County,” she stated.

Theresa’s positive energy and enthusiasm is contagious and I am confident Water Street Seafood will be a huge success. Whether it is a romantic date night or family dinner – I am quite certain I will become a regular.

To view the menu and restaurant details, please visit waterstreetseafoodhdg.com.