Historic O'Brien's Steakhouse In Annapolis Sold: Report

ANNAPOLIS, MD — O'Brien's Oyster Bar and Restaurant has been a fixture in the downtown Annapolis dining scene for nearly 50 years, but owner Jerry Hardesty said Thursday that it's been sold. The name of the new owner hasn't been divulged, or the plans for this historic site at 113 Main Street, which has housed an eatery since colonial times.

Hardesty, who has owned the venue since 1993, released a statement Thursday announcing the sale of O'Brien's bar and restaurant, the Capital-Gazette reports. Hardesty, 76, said he will retire; no further details were released.

Hardesty took over what was known as Fran O'Brien's starting in the 1970s, named for the owner who played for the Washington Redskins. Hardesty emphasize Chesapeake Bay cuisine and installed a décor that pays homage to athletes from the Naval Academy.

But the O'Brien's location has been a part of more than 200 years of Annapolis history, according to the restaurant's website. Built in 1774 as the Rose & Crown, the tavern was a gathering spot for both Royalists and Revolutionaries. By 1836, the restaurant had become Sam's Café, the only dining and dancing establishment in downtown Annapolis. "A waterside Tavern served as a portside communications network long before there was an internet. Sam's Café became the meeting place for merchants, sailors and locals alike," the business says.

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After World War II, the Main Street location became LaRosa, which offered the first pizza pie in Annapolis. By 1964, the site became the first cabaret theater in the area.

With over 240 years in existence, O'Brien's has many stories to tell, and its upstairs was once reportedly a place of "ill repute." The storage rooms where liquor and other items are now stored used to be tiny bedrooms, the business says.

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