McFaul's Oyster and Reel

Great restaurant right on the water with both outdoor and indoor seating—great atmosphere either way. We started with oysters, today’s special Blackberry from Virginia, and they were very good. The soup, salad, and steak tacos were all delicious. Jennifer was absolutely wonderful—so sweet, friendly, and very approachable, which made the experience even better. 10/10 recommend - will definitely be back!

We had a lovely time at McFau'ls Oyster and Reel! We saw Santa and the Grinch. We did crafts and had a brunch breakfast, complete with mimosa flights, and smores shots. While it was an excellent event, the service was strange and slow. Management could have been more hospitable. We loved the Santa and Grinch experience and will be back next year! Our kids loved it! Thank you!

This place is so much fun. Fantastic music. Great, friendly crowd. Wonderful service. The staff is attentive and welcoming. Just a fun place to hang out. And of course, the location on the water can't be beat.

Really nice experience there was so many flying creatures outside which made it a 2/5 for atmosphere. I've eaten outside at several restaurants near water and have need had so many nats flying and bees near my food. They need suggestions on how to control that otherwise great service and food. We got crabs and I got a salad with blackened shrimp. Really good food!!! Update 8/11/2025 tried the wings and steak quesadilla delicious best wings I've had in a very long time. I got honey sriracha lime wings amazing. The steak quesadilla was cheese and delicious. Crabs medium delicious 😋

MUST TRY!!! We visited here for the first time last Saturday evening around 5:00pm. It was fairly busy but we had no wait at all. I attribute that to the size of the dining room and the fact that they were very well staffed (it got busier as the night went on but service was still quick and smooth throughout our visit). The size of this place is huge! It just kept going. There is plenty of room to bring your whole family here. Unlike some other waterfronts in Essex they have dining space with a comfortable separation from the bar area. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with a laid back yet, classy feel. You could easily come here dressed up for a date night or dressed down for a casual family dinner. The staff were warm, friendly and attentive. Anything they didn’t kno