Each time I return to a restaurant I have enjoyed in the past, I hold my breath and hope for the best. So often, after years of great food and great service, a restaurant loses its touch. The original owners are gone, and what was once a great dining experience can turn into disaster.
Last weekend, my family stopped by Sting-Ray’s Restaurant on the Eastern Shore near Cape Charles. We have been eating here for about 50 years. The place looked the same, tucked in the back of an Exxon Station with a gift shop in front. We ordered at the counter and found a table with a sunset view. In no time at all, the server delivered our orders and …..wait for it ….. it was as good as ever.
We ordered Fried Flounder and Fried Catfish. We had Fried Oysters and Clams – all cooked perfectly. The sides were uncommonly delicious as were the sweet Cornbread Cakes slathered in butter. Sting-Ray’s Restaurant is more than hanging in there.
An Eastern Shore landmark, Sting-Ray’s Restaurant opened in 1950. Uniquely located in a gas station, Sting-Ray’s Restaurant was given the nickname of “Chez Exxon” and was quickly adopted as a destination and meeting place for the local farming and fishing community. The Owner, Ray Haney, was always in the kitchen, supervising the staff, and creating his own specialties, including his legendary Blue Cheese Dressing and there is no finer on this planet. Over the years, Sting-Ray’s has been featured in Roadfood, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, and Southern Living as a must-visit culinary stop just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The new owners are honoring Ray Haney’s tradition of excellent food and fine service. If ever you find yourself on the southern tip of the Eastern Shore, pay them at visit at 26507 Lankford Hwy in Cape Charles.
