With so many seafood restaurant choices in the waterfront town of Colonial Beach, it’s saying something that Wilkerson’s Seafood has stood the test of time, occupying the same spot overlooking the Potomac River since it opened in 1946.
The key to that success? “We’re very lucky to have good, dependable, hard-working employees who have been with us a long time,” said fourth-generation Jay Wilkerson, who with his dad, Jim, currently runs the restaurant.
While the town of Colonial Beach has been through a lot of changes, the four generations of Wilkersons have consistently provided good food in a relaxing atmosphere whether you are in a group of two or twenty. “Our menu strives to have something for everyone,” said Jay. They achieve that with classic fried or broiled seafood options like crab cakes, flounder and shrimp; steak and chicken dishes for those more inclined for some “turf” rather than “surf;” and a children’s menu. Much of the restaurant’s seafood menu is also part of its popular all-you-can-eat salad and seafood buffet.
Another testament to their enduring popularity is the steady stream of regulars who returned on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, just a week after the restaurant re-opened for the season. “We have a great local business, but people come from all over. They come for a visit with relatives or return visits from when they were kids. It’s nostalgia for them.”
My lunch partner and husband Blaine is one of those who fondly remembers coming to the restaurant with his family, traveling by boat from Southern Maryland. Boaters continue to take advantage of the restaurant’s pier to dock and dine.
While the restaurant’s wide expanse of windows gives you panoramic views of the Potomac and the Maryland coastline, we did wander outside a little bit while waiting to get closer views, which included a nesting pair of ospreys and their young.
As usual, we split our choices, mine being the surf—a broiled crab cake—and his being the turf—the prime rib sandwich. Before lunch arrived, they started us off with a basket of hush puppies, sweet, savory, and fresh out of the fryer. It was a nice upgrade from the typical bread basket.
The crab cake was broiled to a nice crunch and full of lump crab meat minus a lot of filler. Lunch options are served with a choice of two sides, which include homemade cole slaw, potato salad and macaroni salad, steamed vegetables, French fries and onion rings. The generous portions of cole slaw and potato salad I chose were both fresh and well-made.
Blaine was equally impressed with the prime rib, saying it was “really tender and cooked well.” Like the sandwich, the side of onion rings was cooked to perfection and paired with a tangy dipping sauce.
Our server, Melissa, was very attentive and friendly during the meal. To close out the meal, she suggested a customer favorite, the peanut butter pie, which was rich with flavor, drizzled with chocolate and the perfect accompaniment to an after-meal coffee. We also tried the creme brûlée cheesecake, which was a layered treat of creme brûlée and cheesecake.
The original Wilkerson’s started when Walter Wilkerson returned home from World War II and joined his father, Herbert, and his uncle, Stephen, in the restaurant business. For over 75 years it has been a family restaurant in every sense of the word and that tradition will continue with Jay’s son, Derek. “Just like I did growing up, he’s doing every job you could have,” Jay said.
And just as the fifth generation of the Wilkerson family will continue in the restaurant business, families are sure to continue to make memories and look back fondly with each visit to this restaurant.
