Best Oyster Bars in Essex

I was looking for a good brunch place to take my mother for her 74th birthday. She lives in Bethesda, so I wanted somewhere close that she had not yet tried. My mother can be picky and French is typically her favorite fare. She was a fan of Mon Ami Gabi, but quality there, we feel, has significantly declined and the value proposition just isn’t enough anymore. Her go-to now, is Le Diplomat. Since I didn’t want to go downtown, a little research delivered Salt Line as a worth a shot. Online booking was easy and when we had to increase from 3 to 7, making the change was easy enough. We arrived and were seated immediately. Our server, Umi (I hope I spelled that correctly) seemed new, but was really nice and attentive. She was quite responsive and any time she didn’t know something, she was honest about it and got the answer quickly. She didn’t try to fake it. The food came out quickly and was delicious. Service throughout the meal was quick, attentive and the team worked well together. The ONLY reason that I didn’t rate the food 5 stars is because my girlfriend found the Portuguese Stew to be salty. But I’m being picky here. Shrimp from the Shrimp Cocktail were sizable! The guests that had the Oysters were quite pleased and all other dishes were unanimously delicious. Definite Recommend. Bravo to the team there!

All around it was a great experience. From the oyster starter to the beet salad and salmon entrees & sides. Perfect cocktails and service. Markia truly knows the menu and made excellent recommendations. Definitely will go back.

Always happy with Black restaurants. Food was reliably excellent if not exceptional - we had blackened catfish and blackened shrimp. Service was attentive, congenial and responsive. Good value for increasingly expensive DC restaurant scene.

My best friend and I absolutely love this place! The atmosphere was cozy, and everything we tried was fantastic, but the highlight of our visit was definitely the beer bread—it was absolutely amazing! The flavors were perfectly balanced, and it paired wonderfully with our meal. To top it off, our waitress was outstanding—friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. We'll definitely be coming back!

Excellent service and great food and beverages! Always a wonderful experience. Wait staff could not have been more friendly and attentive!