A new high-end restaurant and raw bar called Brine Oyster Social is set to open in mid-September in Ocean Pines. Owners Lee and Susan Nardyz, who bring more than 80 years of combined hospitality experience to the venture, are behind the concept, which includes oysters.
Don's Seafood & Chophouse closed permanently in 2026 after operating in Ocean Pines for over 30 years starting in 1993, according to DelmarvaNow.com. The family-owned restaurant had built a following on hand-cut steaks, according to Explore OC. Its closure left a notable gap in the Ocean Pines dining scene before the Nardyz family introduced its new concept.
This isn't the couple's first run at building a Maryland seafood destination. Before Brine Oyster Social, Lee and Susan Nardyz founded and operated RockSalt Grille in Westminster starting in 2016, specializing in Maryland and Chesapeake Bay seafood and running a raw bar with four to five oyster varieties depending on the season, per the McDaniel Free Press. At that restaurant, the couple participated in local Bay shell recycling efforts.
An Award-Winning Track Record
The Nardyz family's reputation in Maryland's restaurant industry isn't new. In May 2019, Lee and Susan Nardyz were contenders for Maryland Restaurateur of the Year at the Restaurant Association of Maryland's annual Stars of the Industry Awards; Steve Wecker won the award, as reported by Patch. That recognition adds a layer of professional credibility to the new Ocean Pines venture as it prepares to open.
Running the kitchen is Executive Chef Jenna Howard, an Eastern Shore native who previously served as a private chef for major touring musical acts including Chris Stapleton, Nine Inch Nails, George Strait, Bad Bunny, and Carrie Underwood, according to Brine Oyster Social. Howard also led prominent restaurant kitchens in Ocean City before collaborating with the Nardyz family to build what the restaurant describes as a locally sourced, approachable seafood menu.
What's On the Raw Bar and Menu
The raw bar at Brine Oyster Social will offer 10 varietals of freshly shucked oysters alongside Maryland-style shrimp, snow crab legs, and steamed clams, per DelmarvaNow.com's report. Beyond the raw bar, the menu includes salads, sandwiches, and entrees, with the restaurant describing the overall concept as inviting customers to indulge in a delightful dining journey.
Brine Oyster Social is preparing for its fall debut, with a raw bar planned as part of the concept.
A Retiree-Heavy Market With Deep Pockets
Ocean Pines is a residential community in Worcester County, making it a potential market for a higher-end, year-round dining concept.
Brine Oyster Social also isn't the only new addition to the Ocean Pines Yacht Club area. The Bottle Shop celebrated its grand opening there in August 2026, offering liquors, wines and spirits to complement the neighborhood's growing food and drink scene, per DelmarvaNow.com's reporting.
The Bay Behind the Raw Bar
The timing of a new oyster-focused raw bar lines up with a notable recovery story for the Chesapeake Bay itself. A 2024–2025 benchmark stock assessment from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science found that Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population has more than tripled since 2005, reaching about 7.6 billion adult oysters in 2024, following two decades of state sanctuary investments and fishery management, per the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
That rebound has coincided with commercial harvests, according to the state agency. Even so, existing commercial bushel harvest limits remained steady for the 2026–2027 season, with support from the Statewide Oyster Industry Committee, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Oyster restoration is another part of the Bay's broader story. State sanctuary investments and fishery management have accompanied the oyster population's long-term increase.
