We live our state’s tagline— “You’re Welcome”—with pride. Whether you’re a lifelong local, new neighbor, or curious traveler, we want you to feel safe, celebrated, and embraced as you explore our vibrant, eclectic community.
Annapolis earned a 95/100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2024 Municipal Equality Index, a reflection of our inclusive spirit. Our buildings may be 18th-century, but our attitudes are modern and our commitment to equality is revolutionary.
To help you feel at home, members of our dazzling LGBTQIA+ community have shared their favorite places to dine, play, explore, and celebrate. Think of this as your VIP pass to the history, culture, nightlife, and all the Chesapeake Bay region has to offer. We know you will fall in LOVE here.
Location:
So Annapolis can’t--and doesn’t--claim to be a big city. But what we lack in size, we more than make up with our big, bold, beautiful personality. We asked our guest contributors what they liked best about Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, and here’s what they said:
“I like that Annapolis is a smaller town and we don't necessarily have a gayborhood or a street where, that's where all of the gays hang. I like that, you know, it's just a place where everybody is kind of immersed with everyone and that there is this feeling of acceptance and I have felt a stronger sense of community here than I did when I lived in the Castro in San Francisco.” -- Charlie Garrett, Dapper Dog Tattoo.
“I love that it has sort of a small-town feel, but it also has plenty to do, and it's really walkable. Once you come downtown Annapolis, you can just park and leave your car the whole time and just walk to everywhere...And I love that it's on the water.” - Shannon B. life-long resident
“Annapolis area has this feeling of there's a city, but there's not. It's laid back. It is accepting. It is warm for the most part. You know people want to talk to you if you want to. ...There's just a lot of charm that -- I know Baltimore is Charm City -- but I think Annapolis is very charming itself.” - Gene Summers, Realtor
“I just am in love with this town and everything that it has to offer between its history and culture and being surrounded by the Bay.” - Mariah Davis, local business owner and founding board member of Annapolis Pride.
Open:
We’re proud of our restaurants, not just because they’re fantastic (and trust us, they are), but because they’re open, inclusive, and friendly. But also, good. Like, really good. We’ll let our contributors tell you where they like to go and grab a bite:
tsu, 51 West Street, Annapolis
The early leader when it comes to open, inclusive establishments, tsu opened in 1999 and quickly became a hotspot. With its alternative vibe and funky menu, it was an instant home for the young and the hip. It also became a bastion for the LGBTQ community, hosting “family night” and dance parties when few other venues did so. Lifetime Annapolitan Shannon says, “That's been a longtime supporter of the community. We started going there twenty-some years ago. Wednesday nights were the “family night” and we would go with a big group of women, and it was a place we felt safe going to 20-some years ago.” Chris Haley, actor/writer/historian. adds, “That was a place I would go to when I first moved here that seemed a very good vibe which reminded me of New York. It made me think more about, “OK, this gives me that type of feeling of being in a culturally open and inclusive and inviting establishment." The restaurant was also an early and important supporter of the Annapolis Pride Parade and Festival. Swanky cocktails and inventive food in a welcoming environment? Yes, please.
Bread and Butter Kitchen, 303 Second Street A., Annapolis
Bread and Butter Kitchen burst onto the scene in 2016 and immediately became a local favorite, and not just because of the delicious, locally sourced food. “I love Bread and Butter Kitchen. Monica is just one of the most amazing people and she has done so much for the community also. Like when the pandemic started, she was the person that started Feed Anne Arundel, which got a lot of people food that needed it. She has always supported people of color, queer people, all of those things...” says Joe Toolan, Community Advocate.
Leo Annapolis, 212 West Street, Annapolis
Being local is what Leo does best, from sourcing its ingredients from local purveyors, its fish from local waters, and its decor from local artists. “Leo is wonderful. They promote a lot of local foods, and every year they host Pride events for us, whether it's like a fun event or it's something around like legislative issues, they're really great.” says Mariah. With it’s thoughtfully curated menu, friendly staff, and intimate vibes, this is the perfect place to grab a bite you can feel good about.
Forward Brewing, 418 Fourth St, Annapolis
Our contributors sang the praises of Eastport's own Forward Brewing, giving them a big thumbs up for their support of the LGBTQ+ community, especially with their annual Pride Brew, a colorful concoction unveiled every June. “They've done that since year one. They were in on that, and they've been amazing.” --Eric Lund. Murphy adds, “I always feel relaxed there, and they do a lot of cool events with the community.”
Oscar’s Coffee, 105 Eastern Ave, Annapolis
Oscar’s Coffee is an Eastport neighborhood favorite, “Top, top place to get coffee that's LGBT friendly. They are owned by an LGBTQ couple, they're dog friendly, and it's on the water and they're local. And it's definitely a “best kept secret." --Mariah. Located within a marina, grab your drink and head down to the water to see the boats go by.
Toast the 21st, 1355 Generals Hwy, Crownsville
Blink and you’ll miss it, Toast to the 21st is tucked away less than 20 minutes from downtown. “Really great folks, and they have some amazing cocktails” says Murphy. The cocktail, wine, and beer menus are all extensive and include local brews. Bonus: the food is provided by our friends at Bread and Butter Kitchen.
Venture out and Explore:
Look, we’re more than incredible history, charm, and amazing food. We said we won’t gatekeep our favorite spots, and we meant it. It may have taken some cajoling, but our contributors have spilled the beans on some of their favorite things to do for fun.
“I started exploring all the parks and I was so impressed with...things I saw and suddenly I'd be like, “Oh there's this little park up in, you know Pasadena or something. And then the next thing I know I was like, staring out on the Chesapeake Bay and the Bay Bridge... these are little gems throughout the county. -- Eric
“I really like how much there is to do in Anne Arundel County. There's a wide array of different forms of art. As someone who is like a big appreciator of art, I like how many theaters there are. I like that there's children's theatre, community theater, and professional theater. All right there.” - Atticus Cooper Boidy, local theater artist
“I mean, go down to Jug Bay. I mean, Jug Bay, who would have thought Jug Bay, but oh my gosh, I love it down there." -- Mickey Lund
“I have a friend coming to visit next month! We plan to go to some local spots for food & drinks. She wants to ride on the water taxi, and I want to show her the Maritime Museum as well as possibly some exhibits at Maryland Hall. I'd love to take her to a Blues soccer game as well.” -- Murphy
Feeling the LOVE!
We love it here, and we want you to too.
“I think people don't immediately think of Annapolis as LGBTQ friendly, but it absolutely is. You can walk down the street and see rainbow stickers in all the windows of the restaurants. You can see Annapolis Pride stickers on bumpers of cars. It's very friendly to look around.” - Shannon B
“I just love the community here in general.” - Mickey
“You know, I honestly like, I want to keep this kind of a broad spectrum of... how inclusive Annapolis has been or that I have found in general. Especially like here on my local street, you know, Maryland Avenue, everyone here has 100% supported us and showered us with love and it's the guys next door hung the same flag out of solidarity to stand with us and like, you know, so honestly, like not singling out any one single business, but just knowing that there's an entire community here that shares the same philosophy of everyone is welcome here. You know, that is really cool. And I think if people are coming to Annapolis to visit, you know, should feel really good with just being able to walk around and visit a shop and know that, that most likely those owners are cool people, and most likely they're going to be accepted for who they are.” - Charlie
We’re proud to have been able to share some of the community’s favorite spots with you and we hope that we’ve inspired you to explore Annapolis and Anne Arundel County. We are a community that is growing, changing, and aiming to be better and more inclusive every day, although the work is never done. Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County would like to thank Charlie, Gene, Mariah, Chris, Shannon, Eric, Mickey, Atticus, Joe, and Murphy for their help, time, and support with this project.
