I realize it's an incredibly late review, but my life has recently been quite busy: I'm constantly working, and I try to find time to pursue personal hobbies as well, such as the video game review blog I manage. I apologize that this is the case; I will try to write more frequently. With this being said, it's time to start the review.
While the off-season nightlife of Ocean City was somewhat lacking, Morgan and I frequently took twilight walks through the city's empty streets and along the deserted boardwalk. Not only was this incredibly relaxing and fun, but informative as well; during one of our aforementioned walks, Morgan and I stumbled across a small, quiet-looking place known as Adolfo's Italian Restaurant, tucked away at the end of South Baltimore Avenue by the boardwalk. Since we were in the mood for some local Italian, we chose to eat there the next evening.
Family-owned and run, Adolfo's is open year-round, and provides some excellent, personal service. Their menu is pretty extensive, offering standard Italian fare, as well as some original recipes, and while the prices might seem a little high (in truth, they're pretty comparable to other boardwalk businesses), the quality you get in return is well worth it. The inside of the restaurant itself is dimly-lit and modestly-decorated, adding a somewhat romantic ambiance to the whole place; unfortunately, this same dim lighting made taking pictures impossible (at least impossible to take without being rude to the other patrons).
Since it was the off-season when Morgan and I visited Adolfo's, we got to take advantage of their limited time, off-season specials: every Wednesday and Thursday, certain entrees on their menu are half price, and all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs is offered every Thursday as well; we just so happened to be there Thursday, and ordered ourselves some all-you-can-eat spaghetti. Our meals came with fresh-baked bread with slices of warm pepperoni on the side, and garden salads with homemade Italian dressing.
I apologize ahead of time for the picture, since it's not mine; as I stated before, the lighting within Adolfo's was pretty low, and due to this I had to take a picture from the internet. Fortunately, the picture I chose looks very similar to the meal I ordered.
The bread that came out before the main course was soft, fluffy, and still warm from the ovens. The sliced pepperoni that came with it added a little extra kick to what many consider a boring, old starter.
Our salads were crisp, fresh, and interestingly enough, lacking croutons. There was also ricotta cheese crumbled on top of the greens. The homemade Italian dressing was delicious - not too oily, although the portion was a little meager; I really would've liked more of it on the salad to help balance out the bold flavor of the ricotta, and to make the salad a little less dry. Overall, it was a nice appetizer though.
Next came the all-you-can-eat spaghetti and meatballs. Served in big, heaping portions, Adolfo's was more than generous in quantity. The spaghetti was tender, the sauce was salty-sweet and seasoned with basil, and the meatballs were large, hand-packed, and hot. The meat used wasn't quite as rich as I originally hoped, but was still flavorful enough to satisfy my taste buds. Unfortunately, this slight lack in bold flavor made the huge serving size grow a bit bland by the end; regardless, I enjoyed the meal enough to ask for a second plate.
While I can't rank Adolfo's among my favorite Italian restaurants of all time, I can certainly recommend it to anyone in the Ocean City area looking for a good deal on all-you-can-eat Italian. The price might initially put off some, but as I stated before, it's pretty standard for a restaurant by the beach. If you enjoy nighttime walks through deserted city streets like Morgan and I, take a stroll by Adolfo's Italian Restaurant: you might just like what you find inside.
Score (out of 10): 8
Location: 806 South Baltimore Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842
Phone Number: (410) 289-4001
Website: http://www.oc-adolfos.com/
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