Driving north from Eastville Virginia, we headed in the direction of the town of Chincoteague in Accomack County Virginia. Chincoteague would be our ‘home’ for the next couple of nights.
As we
headed north, we stopped and took a look at James Brown’s Dry Goods Store which
is indeed located in Eastville’s historic district. The store was built ca. 1880 by William U.
Nottingham, to serve Eastville as a general merchandise outlet. This 2-story, 3-bay building measures 32 feet
wide by 100 feet long.
In the
1800s, dry goods stores began by selling supplies and textile goods to remote
communities…with many customizing their products to fit the area’s needs. These stores trended on into the early 20th
century, gradually disappearing as they were replaced by catalog sales and
department stores.
Nottingham
died in 1924 and James A. Brown bought the building from Nottingham’s widow. The store featured a huge candy display,
fabric, shoes, boots, ladies dresses, sheets, dishes and much more. It continued until Brown died in 1969. The building has been refurbished and
restored by subsequent owners. From what
I can determine, a legal firm is now occupying the old store.
When we
arrived in Chincoteague it was too early to check in at the cottage we’d
reserved and it was time for a break, so we decided to have a snack along with
an adult beverage. Ropewalk was located
on the water in close proximity to our overnight accommodations, so we decided
to give it a try.
It seemed to be a good sign when we saw just how busy Ropewalks was! The weather wasn’t conducive for outdoor dining though. It was too bad as the outdoor setting was colorful and appealing. The dining room was also colorful as well as large and fairly spacious.
It was
all about appetizers and beverages. We
started with the Fried Green Tomatoes topped with lump crab and creamy chipotle
horseradish sauce. ($14.00) It didn’t look great and it wasn’t amazing, that’s
for sure.
FYI, for
those that indulge the Ropewalk Mules were pretty decent. ($8.61)
Another appetizer
was one that we hadn’t heard of before.
This was our order of Crispy house-made eggrolls stuffed with crab meat
and served with sweet Thai chili aioli. ($16.00) Not much food for the money
and no one considered this offering as a winner.
The next
appetizer was right down my alley! This
was our order of “Bada Bing Shrimp”. ($15.00) They are described as crispy
shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.
We all agreed that the ‘Bada’ portion of this item’s description fit
fairly well. Too much breading and it
was too mushy!
Our last
appetizer was this order of Battered Pickle Chips served with chipotle horseradish
sauce. ($11.00) This was the best of our 4 selections. Not great but decent...
FYI…the
beers selected were priced at a reasonable $7.00.
OK, for
us Ropewalk wasn’t a winner. Was it our
only choice? It was really very busy so
was location the key?
Ropewalk
Chincoteague is located at 6262 Marlin Street in Chincoteague Virginia. Website: Best
Restaurant Chincoteague Island Virginia Ropewalk & Bar. In hindsight, I’ve noted that the TripAdvisor
reviews for this restaurant aren’t great.
There are 3 other Ropewalk locations… They are in Ocean City Maryland,
Bethany Beach Delaware and Baltimore Maryland.
While our
food and drink orders were being processed in Ropewalk, I decided to wander
around outside and take some photos.
I really
like the former Chincoteague Volunteer Firehouse. There is quite a difference between the
firehouse doors in the left portion of the building, which was built in 1930,
and the ‘new’ portion, which was completed in 1957. In 2019, the fire department moved to a new
building in town and the question was, what to do with the old firehouse. As it turned out, the town council voted to
buy the building for $600,000 and then seek grants for its restoration…possibly
building apartments on the second floor.
The price
paid was well below both the appraised value and the most recent real estate listing
prices. Apparently this structure served
as a key refuge during the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962 that flooded much of the
island. The flood lingered through 5
high tides over a 3-day period. When the
flood came, this is where many islanders went.
I did
note that the right hand portion of the old firehouse is occupied by Chincoteague
Island Community Cats, an organization dedicated to the control and welfare of
the island’s cat population.
Next I noted these rather attractive homes across the street from Ropewalk and the bay. The first home and the last one both displayed signs in front from “Island Getaways”, and are obviously vacation rentals. The first house is listed as a 3 bedroom 2 bath rental that features a 6-person hot tub. Depending on the time of the year, the weekly rental cost ranges from $1,260 to $2,500. I couldn’t find a listing for the last house but it also features 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. I liked them all but I must admit that the one I’m most curious about is that low lying stone and glass home with the off-center front entrance.
To get a
sense of what types of vacation rentals are available in Chincoteague Virginia,
just go to Island Getaways (igetaway.net).
That’s
all for now. In my next post we’ll check
out our rental cottage and begin exploring Chincoteague and Assateague Islands.
Just
click on any of the photos to enlarge them…
Thanks
for stopping by for a visit!
Take Care,
Big Daddy Dave
Sorry that food wasn't that good, but the mural on the wall of restaurant Ropewalk looks interesting. Again, you found the most interesting and beautiful houses.
ReplyDeletetoo bad about the food. The homes look like what I would expect for the east coast.
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly touring in and around an area that we know, Dave. As former residents of the VA eastern shore, we lived in the town of Onley which was about an hour drive from Chincoteague. We spent time at the refuge and perhaps you will visit also. I am not familiar with the restaurant you described, and from your description of the appetizers it's unlikely we would want to try it if ever back in the area.
ReplyDelete