Pusser’s coming to Baltimore after closing Annapolis site

Pusser’s Caribbean Grille in downtown Annapolis is slated to close Oct. 31 when its lease with the adjoining Annapolis Waterfront Hotel is up. Angelique Gingras/Staff

Pusser’s is moving from the Annapolis waterfront to the Lighthouse Point Marina in Baltimore with plans to be fully operational by next summer.

Pusser’s Landing restaurant will take over the Drift Bar floating dock bar and interior space on the Canton waterfront — allowing the Caribbean eatery to provide a year-round waterfront dining experience.

Known for its painkiller cocktail, island vibe and Caribbean-inspired dishes, Pusser’s Caribbean Grille is moving from its current location at the Annapolis Waterfront Hotel once its lease ends Oct. 31.

The restaurant operated at the Annapolis location for three decades. Co-owner Clyde Culp previously told The Baltimore Sun that Pusser’s had intended to stay at the Annapolis location, but that it became clear that the hotel was interested in pursuing a different vision for the space with Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group.

Atlas plans to open two restaurants at the location after expanding the existing restaurant space through a multimillion-dollar renovation, according to a news release from the group.

Atlas Restaurant Group was founded in 2012 by President and CEO Alex Smith. Smith and his brother Eric Smith, a co-owner of Atlas Restaurant Group, are nephews of Sun owner David D. Smith.

Pusser’s was named for the rum that was rationed to sailors of the British Royal Navy for more than 300 years. In 1979, entrepreneur Charles Tobias obtained the rights and recipe to the Navy’s Pusser’s Rum, which was named for the “purser,” who was in charge of distributing rum on the ships.

Tobias went on to open the first Pusser’s pub in Road Town, British Virgin Islands, in 1982. In 1994, Pusser’s launched its Annapolis restaurant — the first of its kind in the United States.

Pusser’s has one other U.S. location, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, and five locations in the British Virgin Islands.

The Annapolis location is still filled with Tobias’ relics and decorations, including the original custom-made bartop from Wales. Today, all Pusser’s locations continue to use the original Pusser’s Rum, and a percentage of every bottle sold is given back to the Royal Navy.

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