1106 Coastal Hwy. • Fenwick Island, DE (Across From PNC Bank) 888-666-0728 • 302-541-0728
Original HOuse Of WelsH
Famous for sizzling Steaks, Colossal Lump Crab Cakes & Fresh Seafood Since 1900!
Rated the #1 Restaurant in the Ocean City area.—Survey conducted by cable TV advertisers.
12 Different Vegetables Daily • Tax-Free Delaware.
In 1898, Martin J. Welsh came to America from his homeland of Ireland. In 1900, he established the House of Welsh Restaurant at 301 Guilford Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. Just a few years after the restaurant was opened, Baltimore suffered one of the worst tragedies in its history. In the sub-freezing temperatures of early February 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire raged for over three days and, when it was over the conflagration had consumed over 90% of the downtown business district. In the early hours of the blaze it was discovered that the only telegraph pole remaining in the downtown area was located just outside the House of Welsh. For the next several days, the third floor of the restaurant became the headquarters for Western Union as telegraphers tapped out desperate pleas for help to the Fire Departments of Washington, Philadelphia, Wilmington and other nearby cities. In the end, Martial Law was declared and the next 6 days were legal holidays. In the years that followed, Mr. Welsh, Sr. was blessed with three sons: Martin J. Welsh, Jr, Joseph, and Thomas. The three sons joined their father in the business and were affectionately known to customers as Marty, Joe and Tommy. For many years the family operated the original restaurant as well as two others: Marty’s on Fayette Street and the Park Plaza at the corner of Park Avenue and Charles Street in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon district. Located just a short distance from City Hall, the House of Welsh became a favorite spot for many Baltimore mayors and Maryland governors, including J. Millard Tawes, Thoedore McKeldin and William Donald Schaefer. City Council members and other local government also frequented the restaurant, and it was said that much of the city’s business was informally conducted in one of the House of Welsh meeting rooms. Only a few blocks from the headquarters of the Baltimore Sun, many reporters and photojournalists, such as H.L. Mencken and Aubrey Bodine, found the restaurant to be a comfortable place to meet and discuss their adventures in the newspaper business. From the
late 1930’s through the 1950’s, the Welsh family bottled its own brand of rye whiskey that they called Welsh’s Black Bottle. To promote their product, the Welsh family decided to paint the building black and during this era, patrons began referring to the restaurant as The Black Bottle. Many seniors remember the House of Welsh by this name, including Mr. Ross Perot who (as Midshipman Perot) recalls frequenting The Black Bottle after the Navy Academy football games played in Baltimore. The present owner, Marty Welsh (Joe Welsh’s son), took over the restaurant in 1974 and, together with his wife Hilda Welsh Wilkins, operated business for the next 24 years. In 1997, because of the decline of the original inner-city neighborhood, Marty reluctantly concluded that if the restaurant was to survive, a new location was needed. Several sites were considered and after much deliberation, Marty finally decided to move the restaurant to the beach. This decision saddened many Baltimorians, prompting Jacque Kelly, the Sun’s neighborhood reporter, to write a nostalgic article about the closing, which he titled: House of Welsh Closing After 97 Years of Happy Memories. Marty’s reluctant decision has turned into a phenomenal success story. In a recent survey conducted by cable TV advertisers, the House of Welsh was rated the #1 Restaurant in the Ocean City area. Marty has carried on the time-honored Welsh Family tradition of giving customers “the best and most for their money.” The Original House of Welsh offers a wide selection of fresh seafood and choice cut steaks, all prepared according to Welsh family recipes. Relax and enjoy as you experience an atmosphere of casual fine dining and culinary delights.
Open Daily at 11am Dining Open 4 pm to Close Happy Hour 11am-5pm Entertainment 6 Days A Week Bar Holds 100 People
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